COP 03 / Research / Existing Holy Water

Most purchasable holy water bottles are around £1. During my visit to York I bought a bottle which cost me around that price. It is interesting that although it is just water, holy water still a commodity, because there is an exchange of currency.

However, for the project I will be undertaking, the product would be sold for a higher price such as £10/20, to highlight how consumers are exploited for products such as this, just water.

Aesthetically, the bottles that holy water comes in tends to be frosted plastic with gold foiling. To interpret this, the frosting hides the contents of the bottle and also correlates with other religious imagery such as stained glass and marble, it is always translucent rather than transparent. It would be interesting then to create a bottle that is either clear or opaque, to differ.

The foiling communicates a sense of opulence that is famous for Catholic churches. The grand decoration is usually a sight to behold even in the smallest of churches, featuring gold, marbles and stone materials and sculptures. Especially in Rome.

I wonder if I can take these details and flip them, creating something that communicates a more raw and organic aesthetic rather than an artificial luxury.