A precursor to the Phoenix
For many years, I have been involved in the world of antiques. Restoring and reconstructing historic furniture and metalwork has had a huge influence on my own work. But I never seek to explicitly copy or mimic period design styles.
Nevertheless, ideas do inevitably rub off.
Phoenix is probably the piece with the clearest link to a specific antique. It is no coincidence that I was deeply involved in researching and re-constructing this beautiful (and very rare) firegrate - thought to be by the London makers Meremoth & Gamaliel Skidmore of Holborn, and dating from around 1820 - while developing the initial design sketches for Phoenix.
