paul cocksedge gives fluidity to glass with 'SLUMP' tables at carpenters workshop gallery

carpenters workshop gallery presents a new body of work by paul cocksedge, coinciding with the london design festival 2020. titled ‘SLUMP’, the collection comprises eight tables, whose glass surfaces have been ‘slumped’ over industrial and natural materials including concrete, steel, wood, and rock. each one-of-a-kind piece is the result of collaboration with dozens of skilled craftspeople in the UK, utilizing specialized techniques and machines.

slump 4 legs dining table, 2019
mould glass, steel | H75 L200 W90 cm / H29.53 L78.74 W35.43 in | limited edition of 8 + 4 AP

the process gives the typically rigid and flat material an unexpected softness and fluidity. the bases appear to be under a water surface — an effect emphasized in the ‘bubble table’ made of metal tubing, which creates a soft, drop-like surface. the ‘rock coffee table’ juts out from a stone that gives the same illusion as a river running over a bolder. cocksedge also uses patinated mild steel to give an added level of depth and texture, exploring how a solid industrial material can be altered through time and nature.

slump rock coffee table, 2019
mould glass, rock | H60 L80 W80 cm / H23.62 L31.5 W31.5 in | limited edition of 8 + 4 AP

‘this body of work is a reaction to my long-standing fascination with industrially produced materials,’ explains cocksedge. ‘across the course of my career I’ve visited hundreds of factories, full of flat, rigid sheets of various materials — wood, metal, marble, stone or glass. I’ve always felt that this flatness has a visual tension, and I wanted to explore how to relax and soften that, giving the material space to breathe out. the pieces themselves are a simple visual gesture, but the process behind them was complex. the challenge was how to transform something that has been made flat and rework it, while avoiding putting ‘stress’ back into the glass.’

slump rock coffee table (detail)

‘paul has created this fascinating effect with industrial glass sheets that smoothly slump over patinated steel, wood or rock, seemingly protective and flexible — attributes that perhaps resonate more with us now than before given the last couple of months,’ adds loic le gaillard, co-founder of carpenters workshop gallery.

kicking off london design festival, ‘SLUMP’ opens on september 10, 2020 at carpenters workshop gallery in mayfair. the pieces will remain on view until december 18, 2020.

slump bubble table, 2020
mould glass, steel | H46.5 L110 W110 cm / H18.3 L43.3 W43.3 in | limited edition of 8 + 4 AP