Steph Lusted - Birth, Life and Death

05 November 2011

This exhibition contains three exquisitely carved pieces.

The image at left shows The Green Fairy - An Absinthe Glass and Spoon

 " Absinthe has been an inspiration for artists throughout history from Vincent van Gogh to Oscar Wilde.

This alcoholic delicacy historically contained the herb Artemisia absinthium, 'Wormwood', often connected to dark imagery, or visions out of the ordinary.

I have always been intrigued with rituals associated with objects, jewellery or otherwise. These objects have significant sentimental value which comes from playing a part in a ceremony. The ritual involved in preparing a 'touch of absinthe' I find fascinating.

The Absinthe ritual:

Lay silver spoon on top of the glass.

Place a white sugar cube on top of the spoon.

Pour your desired amount of Absinthe over the sugar to drip through into the glass.

Ignite the sugar cube!

Once the sugar has in most part dissolved, stir into the Absinthe.

For the final touch add ice cold water to the mix. This changes the colour of the Absinthe from a bright green to a milky, pastel colour as the water helps release the herbal flavours. Enjoy :-)"

Steph Lusted

Wellington 2011

See more work by Steph Lusted