KEY POINTS:
Ben Pearce must have caught the sculpture bug from his grandfather. When asked where he thinks the inspiration for his whimsical and charming sculptures came from, Pearce, whose exhibition is at Butterfly Net in Ponsonby this week, says it could well have started with childhood visits to his grandfather.
"I remember that in his lounge he had a sort of wall of matchboxes all glued together," Pearce says. "He would fix watches and make things and he'd keep all these bits and pieces in this matchbox filing system. And I'd always plead with him to let me have a look."
Pearce, who now works for designer David Trubridge, reckons this encouraged in him to see "the beauty in everyday objects and how to use them to tell stories".
My 10 Favourite Things
1. The Funny Boy. A recent piece I made based on a story and drawing I did when I was 5. At that time I had a bad stutter, and this piece gives reference to that time, with blocked megaphones and locked mouths.
2. Old Tools. I collect old tools. Hand-polished aluminium, worn handles, chipped paint - you can feel the work they've done. The problem is when you can't tell what they are supposed to be used for. I've got some strange old things that look like machine guns but are actually early concrete drills.
3. Paul Maseyk Pottery. It's masculine yet so embellished. It's a sign of good design when an object becomes part of your day and I interact with his light-bulb canisters every time I have a cuppa.
4. The humble Mini. It's what I dream of driving. Everyone should have one. It looks so pert and defined but it's not over-designed.
5. Pin-up girl advertising and posters. Succulent maidens selling oil and spark-plugs. I think the designers painting these had a dream job.
6. Shaker furniture. Every piece in some way references another, proportions seem mathematical, and no electric machinery was used. It's just really beautiful without being wasteful.
7. Kay Bojesen's monkey and other toys. Designed in 1951 in Denmark, this cute little critter would lighten your thoughts as you potter around the house. And anyone that can design a wooden toy which has that many photos taken of it has my admiration.
8. Humphrey Ikin furniture. I like his iconic red bookshelf and the log bench in the Sarjeant Art Gallery in Wanganui. Honest and simple.
9. Ricky Swallow's work. He's an Australian artist who carves from limewood. Some of his pieces take six months to complete. They imitate reality but have an other-worldly flavour, like a tracing or photocopy.
10. The Vespa. I have always admired them and bought a rare old model when I was 15 for $150. It never went as it needed major restoration and it sat in my room for years. They're very sexy design-wise and mechanically, well-made. I love the little castings and badges - no plastic in sight.
