Alumation Collection: New Age, 2024
Nick Missel
Alumation Collection: New Age, 2024
Glass and resin
30 x 30 x 6 in
Nick Missel’s Alumation Collection transforms salvaged car radiators into striking sculptural furniture through an intensive process of deconstruction and reconfiguration. Missel begins by sourcing bales of aluminum radiators from salvage yards, meticulously pulling them apart to reveal their intricate, machine-made patterns. These fragments are then reassembled into new forms— sometimes tightly composed to retain but obscure the industrial origins, other times arranged more loosely, where individual strands of aluminum take on an ethereal, almost smoke-like quality.
To enhance these compositions, Missel impregnates the negative spaces with resin, creating a fascinating interplay of texture and transparency. This technique is exemplified in works like the Gravity Well mirror, where delicate strands of aluminum appear to float in suspension, and the Core table, where the material’s innate structure is both celebrated and transformed into something entirely new. By seeing the inherent beauty in these otherwise banal components, Missel reimagines them as objects of art and design, offering a fresh perspective on the value of overlooked materials.
