Carbon Void Aluminium is an artwork by the English artist: Tom Price. 

Tom Price's artistic approach revolves around materials and is mainly led by innovative and experimental creative processes. The artist thinks of himself “as working in collaboration with materials, processes and phenomena, and that the final physical outcome is a product of mutual consent.”

One of the artist’s favourite mediums is coal. The artist admires its aesthetic characteristics, in particular its darkness and opacity, as well as its intrinsic and functional aspects. Coal is indeed one of the purest forms of carbon, the basic element of all known forms of life as well as a very important energy source for humans. Thanks to learning through experimentation, Tom Price developed a firm mastery in this medium and now produces a wide variety of artwork with it. 

The artist created the Carbon Voids series by combining various geometric ‘positive’ (creating solids) and ‘negative’ (creating voids) shapes. Using geometry, he wanted to explore the relationship between man and the objects he uses; thanks to the intrinsic presence of voids, the artworks have the potential to change into containers or seats. It is up to the public to decide whether the piece is functional or purely sculptural, by placing it on one facet or another. In Carbon Void Aluminium, a ‘negative’ aluminium cube forms a cavity within the artwork. Its corners are cut where they meet with the exterior coal cube, allowing a light and shadow play, seen through the small openings.

Photos: Jaroslav Moravec