Metamorphic Rock Bookend
| Design Year: | 2011 |
|---|---|
| Dimensions: | various stones, cement |
| Materials: | Studio Produced |
Metamorphic Rock Bookend is a decorative object that is made from small pieces of stone that are cast in cement to give them 3 perpendicular sides so they can interface with a surface and a book as well as a 4th diagonal side with various materials protruding from the surface. The original bookends were made from stones that could be found on the road around the stone yards near the studio's first location at 13 Greenpoint Avenue in Brooklyn. The bookends were first designed for the Phillips de Pury Design Store located on the corner of Park Avenue and 57th Street from 2011-2012. The first batch of bookends are engraved on the diagonal side with "CHEN 2011", subsequent bookends are engraved with "CCKW" and the production year.
Production
The first versions of the bookend were cast in a 3 sided plywood box (this mold is the inspiration for the Third Eye Vessel) that was lined with aluminum flashing. The flashing gives the cast cement a smooth finish. The box is oriented with the corner pointing down. Primarily stones but other materials as well are placed on 2 sides of the box with more material filling the center composed to break the surface level of the cement that will be poured in. Around 1lbs of fine cement is poured in to bind all the contents together.
Since 2016 the bookends are cast in a silicone mold using a dark grey pigmented cement and the surfaces are polished after de-molding. These modifications give the bookends a smoother surface finish and a more UV stable color. Two sets (4 pieces) in pink were produced in 2012.
Casting in plywood mold
Early batch from 2011
Finishes
After polishing the bookends are sprayed with an oil based masonry sealant and buffed. This gives the surface a darker color and more UV stability.