Apprentice Piece
2004
Mixed Media, 26 x 14 x 10 cm.
Materials: Wood, paint, books, pocket colt and gold-leaf
Collection: Collectie Paul en Suzy Kusseneers.
The title of the piece refers to small scale pieces of furniture made by joiners apprentices to show their woodworking skills to their master carpenter. If the workmanship was considered of sufficient standard, then the apprentice could go on to work on the real, full-size pieces of furniture in the workshop. These items were called ‘apprentice pieces’. Webb’s work therefore (in one respect) is an antithesis to the ‘Master Piece’.
The work is part of a series of works called Section d’Or and as with the other pieces in this series the dimensions and structure of the object are taken from existing doors, in this case the double doors of the small studio in the artist’s apartment. The two holes filled by the missals relate to the glass panes in the original and therefor determine all other dimensions. The missals penetrate the object from opposing sides, so that if the viewer is in a position to read the title of the book, he can see the spine and the gold leaves simultaneously.
As this motif is repeated on the other side of the object, an idea of circular motion is suggested – much like a revolving door.
The missals are ergonomically pocket sized as is the “Colt Pocket revolver” that lies on top of the work. The right hand section of the handle (butt) of the revolver has been gold leafed by the artist, the reflection of which softens one corner of the object, which is then itself reflected back into the revolver.
Livre d’Or (the name of the missal). Puns: ‘Livre Door’, ‘Louvre Door’, (Louvre,Paris), (Old French; lover), ventilation, ‘Free Door’, ‘Library Door’, books, etc.
