TEA TREE--MORE THOUGHTS AND QUESTIONS

Here's more on the tea tree. I did this drawing of the whole deal, but since then I've had some second thoughts about the overall shape, which I'll explain later.

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The overall structure and idea is there (teacups on hangar racks on chicken wire with old fashioned napkins sticking out to cover up the blank spaces). What I'm not so keen on is the lampshade shape of the top of the tree. I think I want it to be more like this:

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Here's a detail of the inside tea-dispensing part of the tree (without the foliage):

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More Questions and Comments:

1. This is looking too precious in the Alice and Wonderland, girly type of way. I want it to be more Terry Gilliam-ish. Like Brazil only brighter. Maybe the cloth napkins (these should be thrift-store) are not the way to go for foliage. Maybe there's something that can be juxtaposed (something more Kafkaesque, or macho or scary) with the ladylikeness of the tea service. I'm going to sleep on that. Maybe someone has an idea?

2. I'm not sure chicken wire is the way to go for the support of the foliage of this tree. It may need to be partly attached to a wall for stability. That may provide the support for a more uneven shape that'll be much better looking. It may also add a nice pop-up book feeling that can be employed throughout the exhibit.

I got a bunch of Tyvek today that I'm going to test for pigeon-making. I think I might make something simpler first--I'll take a picture of it and show when I'm done.