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Grenville Davey  born 1961

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Dry Table  1990

Painted galvanised steel and salt
object: 1190 x 2245 x 1305 mm
sculpture

Purchased 1992

T06598
Davey is one of a number of sculptors who make objects whose forms and scale suggest at once a mechanical function and a domestic or architectural fixture. His works are often hybrids combining found objects and specially fabricated sections. Particularly important is the finish and surface of each work. In this case, the smooth, curved sides of the cylinder are deliberately contrasted with the pitted surface of the top. Davey's post-minimal 'functionless' objects challenge the gallery setting by appearing as objects for consumption - as furniture, for example. However, their beautifully crafted manufacture is without an application outside art. The upper surface is a dried out salt solution.
 (From the display caption August 2004)