simon hasan: industrial makeshift

‘industrial makeshift’ by simon hasan
all images courtesy simon hasan

UK designer simon hasan project ‘industrial makeshift’ was conceived in response to an invitation by the northhampton blink festival to create a  site-specific installation in the town’s 700 year-old market square. like many market towns, northampton has witnessed the growth of high street chains that are part of an automated system of global manufacturing, supply and consumption.

‘industrial makeshift’ group of a plate, tin can, cola bottle

‘industrial makeshift’ explores this evolution through themes of commerce, craft and industry, questioning the role of the handmade within the modern production system. the overall project alludes to william morris’ 1894 lambaste of unsatisfactory mass produced goods, although in his iteration, hasan’s hand-made pieces are the ones that become makeshifts of the ubiquitous engineered products they are formed on.

line-up of coca-cola bottles

working with the medieval leather-working technique of cuir bouilli, hasan has produced over 400 hand-crafted objects, which can be purchased from a coin-operated, customized vending machine. each of the pieces are being sold for only 3 GPD, and are molded archetypes of such mass produced objects as coca-cola bottles or anonymous pound-shop plastic objects. they are rendered in hardened leather, becoming symbols of globalized industry as well as curious artefacts with an almost archaeological quality. each object is made from boiled leather, polyurethane resin, steel / brass / linen thread.

stack of plates

tin cans

up close of tin cans

cups

the pieces will be available to purchase from a coin-operated customized vending machine

up close of ‘industrial makeshift’ products in the vending machine

detail