A very phallic shape with the fire extuinigher hose, especially tied up adding to the humour of the piece. Originally intended for "Oyster" to be written in pink, again adding to the phallacy.

The work plays deliberately with the unmistakably phallic form of the fire extinguisher hose, with its tied-up position adding a further layer of humour and visual absurdity.

Originally, the word “Oyster” was intended to be painted in pink, extending the innuendo and reinforcing the playful character of the piece. However, during the painting process, the darker ink treatment proved visually stronger, so it was ultimately left as it was.

The finished work retains that balance between humour, suggestion and spontaneity — allowing the material and the painting process itself to shape the final outcome.

This isn’t the first fire extinguisher I’ve transformed into an artwork, and I’m fairly certain it won’t be the last. It’s one of many familiar, instantly recognisable objects that I enjoy removing from their original function and reimagining as art.

There is something particularly satisfying about giving an everyday object a completely new identity and context. In that sense, the work carries a small nod to the tradition of the readymade and the idea that an ordinary object can become something entirely different through intervention and presentation.

I’d like to think Duchamp might have approved of the repurposing.