For artist Eliott Paquet, the close proximity of his home to his studio is vital to his practice, which explores domesticity of both the physical and philosophical. He describes it as ‘a functional space’, and this rings true when witnessing the numerous equipment and machines it bears. A shadow board of tools occupies a large area of one wall, tidily organised whilst the screwdrivers, saws and hammers await use. Packed shelves holding an array of items allude to the range of materials Paquet works with; including plaster, wood and metal. The space has the feeling of a productive workshop, where on a continuous cycle work is created and once completed is stored away, to ensure it does not intrude into those with whom the studio is shared. One work in progress akin to an interphone reveals a duality between machine and human – becoming anthropomorphised as features resemble eyes, noses and hands. Elsewhere, metallic curves and smooth ergonomic shapes juxtapose with the industrial feel, reminiscent of the way Paquet’s work interplays between the biological and artificial body. Just as he questions the dichotomy between static objects and living beings, the space embodies both the lived-in warmth of domestic life and the cold sanitation of machines.
