Gourde Pliable

At the Dollar Tree check-out.

While walking the aisles of my local Dollar Tree and moving to the check-out counter, what should I come across but this handy dandy water bottle. As a multi-language label, the water bottle name translates to "Gourde Pliable". It is a collapsible container to carry liquids while doing outdoor activities. Gourds were, and in many areas are still, water carriers and dippers. It still catches me by surprise when I see the connection between gourds and modern products.

CA Mohr

Shaping Gourds

As reported in inhabitat, Andrew Mowbray, has been growing gourd building blocks for a couple years. Check out the article link to see other images, especially the one with green gourds banded with the box sides they are being molded within. The unique difference with Andrew Mowbray's molded gourds is that his concept extends beyond the art and beauty of the gourd to a product that could have a utilitarian purpose. My question would have to be about expansion. Since gourds are living, when released does the amount of expansion hinder the stacking potential?

Although approaching gourd-shaping from a new angle, these notched, stackable blocks follow a long established tradition of gourd altering. Plastic molds have been used to shape faces as documented by Suzanne Cook's article and photograph. Dan Ladd has been producing remarkable gourd art with classic shapes in the Greek tradition for quite a while.
His molds are porous which reduces the accumulating moisture that can happen with plastic/acrylic molds.

Of course nothing is as simple as tying a rope or wire around a gourd as it grows. In fact, just letting a gourd grow against a chain link fence will imprint the link pattern onto the gourd. Gourds are fluid, a natural work in progress and will shape themselves to accommodate their surroundings.

Let's try an experiment this summer with several different possibilities!



CA Mohr