Mark Brennan, River Pebble Coffee Table (ART & OBJECTS 2023)

Photos:

Jake Hogan

Inspired by the act of balancing river pebbles to form a structure, the River Pebble Coffee Table shows off curves and a precarious looking balance, whilst being incredibly sturdy. During a landscaping job with my brother, we were making ponds and streams, dry stacking Bright river pebbles by carefully choosing the right pebble for the right spot, to ensure it would stay together. The form of the pebbles were so natural, there were no perfect lines, edges or circles. Everything was beautiful in its own unique shape, but could sit together to create something solid if dome correctly. This is what I wanted to implement in this coffee table design. I began creating odd, rounded shapes that could stack together to make the 'River Pebble Coffee Table', overlapping each stack to create a curve, and balanced perfectly whilst being secured by a stainless steel rod through the centre. Just like pebbles found in a stream, no two shapes are the same, and a perfect circle can't be found. A sense of nostalgia can be felt as one thinks back to stacking rocks and pebbles at the beach or on holidays, attempting to get that stack as high as possible. Made from PEFC Certified Tasmanian Oak, the River Pebble Coffee Table measures approx. 670mm in diameter and 430mm high.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.