At your service

‘At Your Service’ is a series of five artworks, accompanied by two complementary pieces, that transform the chaos and rhythm of a coffee shop into a vibrant tableau of humour, resilience, and reflection. Inspired by the dynamics of service and consumption, this series invites viewers to reconsider the everyday—ordinary objects and moments become elevated, heroic, and filled with personality.

The narrative unfolds through the gaze of a coffee shop guest, who ravenously devours their meal—here humorously reimagined as a cutlery tin—creating a scene of crumbs, scattered tomato balls, and chaos. Yet, even as the metaphorical wheels come off, a new cutlery tin heroically steps in, restoring order to the scene, ready to face the cycle again. Through this playful depiction, the artwork pays homage to the unrelenting efforts of coffee shop staff, whose roles often go unnoticed, as they work tirelessly to maintain harmony amid the frenzy.

This series draws inspiration from Pop art’s tradition of reimagining everyday objects, with a nod to Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans and their iconic elevation of consumer culture. The cutlery tins, with their glowing, otherworldly colours, evoke the monolithic forms of Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey or the defiant stance of prize-fighters in the ring—knocked down but never defeated. Each panel tells its own story, while the vibrant palette and bold composition bind the series together, creating a cohesive visual language.

Humor is woven throughout the series, acting as a bridge between the whimsical and the profound. By embracing the absurdity of the scene, ‘At Your Service’ makes the deeper commentary accessible, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationship with the spaces they frequent and the people who keep them running. The exaggerated portrayal of the consumer, depicted as almost beastial, adds a playful self-awareness that disarms and engages rather than alienates.

A prominent letratone woodgrain texture runs through the series, a signature element that connects this work to my earlier piece, ‘Contemplation’ created for the Boston Tea Party coffee shop in Honiton (UK). This texture, alongside the vibrant colours and dynamic forms, creates a tactile, immersive experience that draws the viewer into the scene.

The two complementary pieces expand the narrative further. In the first, we meet Freda, an impatient guest at Table 22, eagerly awaiting her meal. In the second, her meal—a bacon and cheese croissant—is humorously immortalized. These additional works add character and context to the series, enriching the world of ‘At Your Service’ while maintaining its light-hearted, narrative-driven tone.

At its core, ‘At Your Service’ is a visual ode to the resilience embedded in the mundane and the quiet heroism of those who keep the world spinning, one cutlery tin at a time. By blending humor, vibrant aesthetics, and subtle critique, this series invites viewers to find the epic in the everyday—to laugh, reflect, and perhaps, to leave their coffee shop tables a little tidier.