'prickly lamp' by lucy mcrae
image courtesy of broached colonial commission


in a new application of the idea, mcrae's concept of creating a second skin is applied to an industrial object with 'prickly lamp'. 
using texture and form, the lamp is given an anthropomorphic quality. the project is a representation of the living conditions
of australian women during the colonial period. the contrast between their nature and their harsh environment is represented
in both the skin and the form of the lamp. their journey back to the basic survival instincts are expressed through 20,000 pieces
of hand dyed wood sticks. the utilitarian material is simultaneously reminiscent of hair and of sharp nails, confusing the senses 
between the soft feel of fur and the pain of being pricked by a sharp point. the vegetable dyed sticks range from light grays
to browns to blacks, adding to the visual depth of the piece while communicating their colorless existence. 
the varying directionality of the twigs makes it appear as though the metal object has grown the coat as a protective layer, 
a metaphor for the austere reality that the women endured and overcame.