Styling shelves is a real talent, but James Hopkins takes it to a new level. By arranging and cutting into things, Hopkins creates his Vanitas installations from related groupings of everyday objects.
Hopkins says of these pieces in a Wallpaper article: "I see these shelves as tombstones to the current, ephemeral era in design because, while they look quite luxurious and modern now, next year they will already begin to look dated."
Each grouping is comprised of related objects, either by color or style. For example, in Shelf Life (top image), these are all items that would be found in a teenagers room, and point to the impermanence of objects and their persistence in memory. Other groupings include vintage objects or contemporary, design-forward items that Hopkins surrounds himself with.
It's like making a painting on your bookcases (with a touch of social commentary). Baffling and amazing.
