Short Film on Sheldon Cooney

Part of what we do here is keeping our noses to the ground and unearthing those creative independents that are tucked away in the lesser-known corners of the web. The creation of glass is a process that I’ve personally become more and more fascinated by over the years, although recently I’ve been struggling to find individuals working in the medium. Thankfully I was kindly pointed towards the brainchild of Elaine Sheldon and Dominic Cooney earlier, who work under the alias of Sheldon Cooney in their converted methodist chapel within Staffordshire.

The short film that I’ve embedded below was commissioned by the Crafts Council as they look to highlight those proudly bearing the torch for traditional craft in this country. The great thing about the project is that it tackles the most significant wall that is placed up against some of these independents, which is one of exposure. I strongly believe that we can regenerate demand for these types of creation if we can just highlight the skill and dedication going into creating this way.

From a personal perspective I’m more inclined to purchase an item that has been made by hand, as I know in this day and age it’s been made in this way because of a burning desire to create. The reality is that mass production means that we can produce items at a slice of the cost, but I don’t mind paying extra when I can see the maker is striving to make an individually designed and unique piece like we see here from Elaine and Dominic. For me supporting an independent creating out of their own workshop feels more fulfilling than purchasing from a large corporation.

In fact I like to think that these independents drive against mass culture and the idea of making a large quantity of throw away objects. When you can see subtle details and imperfections of an object it reminds you of graft and hard work it’s taken to create in this way, call me old fashioned but I like to make human connections with the items around my home. Just a little food for thought whilst you watch on below. Why not head across to the Sheldon Cooney website afterwards and see what you think to their finished creations too.

www.sheldoncooney.com

BECOME A PART OF OUR DESIGN JOURNEY

Special discounts on OEN Shops curated collection

  • Exclusive behind-the-scenes content
  • Early access to content from our OEN publication
  • Deep dive into design concepts
  • Curated guides to the worlds top art and design cities
Become a patron at Patreon!
This content is available exclusively to members of OEN Patreon at $5 or more.