Artists Loolie Habgood and Eleanor Brown have been working with the students of Chesterfield school to create an enchanting chandelier.
800 children from all age groups throughout the school have attended workshops with the artists during a week in June to create the individual parts for the chandelier. The students transformed recyclable materials into beautiful chandelier components that have been assembled by the artists into a magnificent centrepiece to be situated in the main school hall.
The chandelier is made out of recycled materials such as plastic bottles, buttons and cardboard boxes that were brought in by the students. These materials have been carefully remodelled and decorated with shiny materials and a sprinkle of glitter to create a dazzling chandelier.
The 4m chandelier cascades down from the ceiling to a circular cluster of lily pads where birds and dragonflies dart around in a hive of activity. Spiral copper tendrils sprouting flowers and creatures wrap around the ceiling’s architecture.
The artists have drawn inspiration for the chandelier from movement and nature.
“We chose a natural environmental theme and the materials we are using reflect this. We used motives that would conjure up images of movement and flight: insects, birds and feathers. “
“We started the project by thinking about the ideas from a theory called the butterfly effect; how a small action taking place in one part of the world can trigger a set of events that could alter the course of something in another part of the world. We liked how this example could be translated into ideas about preserving our environment and how students could make small individual efforts that can collectively make a difference to the world that they are living in.
For this project we have focused on recycling. We have been trying to show the students that you can take a piece of rubbish and reconsider how it can be used. Instead of being discarded it can be transformed into an item of value and beauty. There is so much potential in many of the products that we throw away.”
The artists looked at the work of other artists who had used unusual materials or designs to construct chandeliers. The plastic bottle components were inspired by the glasswork of artist Dave Chihuly who’s chandelier hangs in the Victoria ands Albert museum.
The chandelier will be suspended above the children’s heads whilst they sit in assembly. “We wanted to create something enchanting that they can look up be inspired by and think about how all their small parts were put together to create something larger than the sum of its parts.”
"10 out of 10" Imaba (student)
"It's really beautiful and stunning. It's unbelievable that it's made by children, it looks like it's made by adults." Theresa (parent)
"It's fantastic, so beautiful, I'm impressed." Poppy (Nursery head)
