The Miner’s Bin
1
2
The Miner’s Bin
1
2
(1) Components
3
Rock Me Again 5 The 5th annual recycled fashion and design initiative, Rock Me Again, established by Capsule Projects in association with Jameson, took place between June and August 2012. Since its inception, the initiative has been harnessing the creative energy of both established and rising talent in design and photography to edge the idea of responsible fashion consumption towards wider recognition, not to mention giving environmentally-friendly design an uncompromising fashion-forward image in the process.
4
http://www.capsuleprojects.com/ http://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/ http://www.vidaecaffe.com/
This year the project kicked off with a competition open to all prototype designers to enter a design for the recycling bin that was to be used to collect old garments. A total of 7 designs were selected and each winning designer received a contribution of R1000 towards production costs. The bins were stationed at selected vida e caffĂŠ stores in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban for the collection of old garments during the month of July 2012. Designer Brief: Rock Me Again, in association with Jameson, invited designers and artists countrywide to enter a competition to design an innovative, environmentally-friendly bin that would function as a recycling container for old garments at selected vida e caffĂŠ stores in Cape Town and Johannesburg. The old garments collected in the bins were transformed into contemporary one-of-a-kind fashion items by a select group of fashion designers during the month of July 2012. The aim of this campaign is to encourage recycling and by so doing reduce the amount of old clothes going to landfills.
5
(2) Preliminary sketch
6
(3) Assembly
7
Why The Miner’s Bin? The Miner’s Bin is a tribute to the men and women who have risked life and limb every day in order to dig up something that has mostly perceived value. Minerals and semiprescious stones could be considered the foundations of the South African economy. If we accept this as the truth, does it not follow that the nations wealthy owe their prosperity to the miners just as all industry owes it’s existence to the ill treated labourers it exploits.
8
The bin was constructed only 2 weeks before the brutal massacre of 34 striking miners at Marikana. Men who were exercising their constitutional right to demand better wages. It was meant to be a small gesture to miners who had recently lost their jobs. I hoped that some of the clothing donated might in some way find its way to aid them. Since Marikana, for me at least it has meant so much more.
http://dailymaverick.co.za/article/2012-08-30-the-murder-fieldsof-marikana-the-cold-murder-fieldsof-marikana
The tall, narrow shape of the bin references the deep mine shafts, tall drilling rigs and industrial structures, but also serves to hold a large volume. The reclaimed wooden frame is sturdy, masculine and structural. It provides the bin with its shape. The unbleached canvas is purely functional, light-weight and maleable. The rolled canvas stitching is made from off-cuts to minimise waste. There is nothing superflous about this bin. It is designed to fulfill its purpose as-well-as convey an idea of hardship, of a life with little, therein lies it’s beauty. It is in stark contrast to the minerals mined for mainly aesthetic reasons. In the early render you may notice the geometric graphic and angled posts, these elements were discarded in order to simplify the end product.
9
10
(4) Front view
(5) Perspective view
11
12
(6) Rolled canvas stitching connecting the bag and frame
(6) Joinery detail
13
19
The Miner’s Bin
20