Cantine Vases by Véronique Maire

Véronique Maire’s Cantine Vases are delightful creations evocative of a multitude of memories. The vases in the series are all variations of a simple construct: a generic glass topped off with a voluminous cork extension, a “hat” if you will. The playfulness of the cork’s bubbly look contrasts the plain, simple image of the transparent glass that forms the vase’s base. The separation that the cork creates between the bloom of the flower and the submerged stem is also something magical and unexpected, like the piecing together of two faint memories. The vases themselves, each referenced by number, also serve their role in the world of reminiscence. Whether the glass of the vase reminds of a cantine – a canteen, or typical lunch hall – or whether the totality of the vase suggests the sophistication of a champagne bottle’s cork, Cantine Vases complement sweet recollection.