Overview
The Apple Cradle is a modernism-inspired wooden tray to showcase a singular fruit, like an apple. Consisting of a base made with bending ply covered in cherry veneer and a linear handle made of poplar wood, this tray provides an organic look to a modernist shape. Playing on ideas from modernism and post-modernism about what it means to design, I created an ornamental tray in a modernist style.
Process
This piece was developed over four weeks, moving between experimentation and fabrication in the woodshop. The planar form is constructed from three sheets of vacuum-bent plywood. I first soaked the plywood and vacuum-bent it over a mold, leaving it taped in place for a week so the curve could properly set. Once the shape held, I laminated the plywood layers together with a cherry veneer using the vacuum bag again, creating a stronger, unified surface.
The linear element was formed using the same mold as the planar structure to maintain continuity between the two forms. I steam-bent the wood, then used the vacuum bag once more to hold the curve while the adhesive set, ultimately integrating it with the larger structure.
Final Work
