Marc Harrison part 2: Musing on a sustainable practice

Re-appropriation of Packaging Material

There are 2 forms of re appropriation in my practice; the first form is the recycling of waste or low valued by-product, a material that has had a first life and has either been discarded or stored waiting for a second life. This is best seen in Husque and the use of the Macadamia nut shell as a key ingredient in a composite material used to manufacture design.

The second form of re-appropriation is the assembly of particularly low valued mass produced products into higher valued products in a way that is energy conservative. The objective of this form of re-appropriation is to create with minimal defacing of the objects used, in other words, low energy input with zero to low waste.

This series of light features is focused on the re-appropriation of packaging materials. Traditionally packaging materials are designed to be cheap and effective as they are generally understood to have short lives as second cousins to the products that they envelop. So they are generally inexpensive and very assessable, and also very recyclable.

Image: Sushi Pendant light 

The sushi pendant lights, are a composition of takeaway sushi containers and wax lunch wrap and fishing line. The containers are a double layer sandwiching crushed lunch wrap diffusers and chain linked into octagonal layers. The layers are then threaded together and suspend over a naked energy efficient light bulb. The containers create structure while the paper creates diffusion.

Image: Sushi Pendant light (detail)

The Power Shake is a table lamp consisting of a torch, milkshake container and drinking straws. All parts have been sourced from a supermarket, in fact at the end of the installation, both the torch and the containers where returned to the supermarket.

Image: The Power Shake

Pop light is a roll of bubble wrap with an energy efficient lamp. The core of the roll is pushed out to create both the stem and the cavity for the light source. The bubble wrap is left completely intact.

Image: Pop Light 

The sausage installation is a roll of small goods elastic stocking, energy efficient light spheres, butchers hooks and bridal loops. The stocking holds the spheres like a boa constrictor and the hooks suspend the stocking from the ceiling while the bridal rings help create the loops that hang.

 Image: Sausage Light
All images courtesy Marc Harrison  

This form of creativity, childish in many ways, is a generator of ideas. I find that the moment a viewer sees it and then registers how it is made is critical in defining its success. It’s this ability to surprise the mind that provides nourishment, and creating nourishment with minimal impact is the spirit of sustainability.

Links

Husque website 
Sustainability stories link  
Marc Harrison is one of the top ten  finalist in the 2011 Bombay Sapphire Awards website 
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Marc Harrison: Musing on a sustainable practice

Re-appropriation of the Macadamia Nut Shell

Husque is a composite material that uses ground up Macadamia shell left over from the Macadamia nut industry processors. The Macadamia shell is a by-product once the kernel has been removed for food or oil. I combine the shell with polymer that then allows me to mold forms. These forms are set with heat and then can be machined, polished and hand finished in various ways. I introduce colour into the shapes by lining the moulds before the composite material is injected. 

If Husque can be compared to another material, an accurate one would be Bakelite. Particularly, electrical insulation Bakelite used commonly in the design of appliances from the 20s to 40s. That type of Bakelite was a composite of wood-flour and phenolic resin.

My understanding of sustainability is that it is ‘the clean and prolonged use of our existing resources and the pursuit of new resources that are safe and efficient’. Husque has developed a value adding process to a low valued by-product but the value of Husque is in the concept of innovation more than the product itself. Its arguable whether the production of more ‘things’ is indeed what the planet needs but it is clear that the processes to develop well designed product by hand or intuitive methods is grounding and can be an inspiration when life and the artifacts we surround ourselves with become overly complicated.

Husque is unique as it is a product more created from art than science. The idea of using Macadamia shell in this way came from my interest in the significance of cultural icons as signposting in an increasingly homogenizing international design scene, however, the idea of using this by-product in a new application had just as much interest from an eco hungry international movement.

Being conservative and innovative with materials is natural to me and goes back to having immigrant farmers as parents and being raised with in an alternative lifestyle family where as kids we made do with what we had.  In my own practice I have translated this as a unique aspect of Australian, and New Zealand design where a philosophy of ‘getting things done’ is inherent in many local innovative design practices. Low-tech methods and lateral thinking are often platforms for innovation. 

One of the key features in the manufacturing of Husque is its molded form, very little waste is generated as the material is measured precisely to fill the volume of the shape required. Besides from the design of vessels, there is a hopeful future for Husque to be used in jewelry, architectural fittings and as with the Husque jug, handles.

The Macadamia nut is native to Australia, and remained exclusively landlocked here on the East coast until 1880, Australia still produces 56% of the worlds Macadamia nuts.

Husque website 
Sustainability stories link  
Marc Harrison is one of the top ten  finalist in the 2011 Bombay Sapphire Awards website 
Be In The Know for Sustainability Forum Updates Subscribe