Carl Anderson’s Spoon Warmer I centres on a fascination with the knife—not just as an object of utility but as a symbol of power, harm, and vulnerability. Given Anderson’s experience of being stabbed, the knife carries profound personal significance, embodying both trauma and a deeper exploration of the violence ingrained in society. This fascination underpins the work, where the knife’s presence contrasts with the implied function of the spoon, creating a dialogue between harm and care, violence and preservation.

The spoon warmer, a redundant and oversized object, evokes a sense of absurdity and unease. Designed for the trivial purpose of warming spoons, it gestures toward our need for comfort and preservation, yet its grotesque scale and form undermine these notions, bringing tension and even shame to its imagined use. Anderson uses this contradiction to explore the fragility of human connections, particularly the desire to mend what is broken—whether bonds, objects, or oneself.

The positioning of the knife, held behind the sculpture’s back, evokes human deceit—a hidden threat concealed behind a gesture of care. This placement challenges notions of trust, asking the viewer to consider the tension between appearances and intentions in human relationships. The grimacing faces on the piece, inspired by Victorian grotesque forms and the work of the Martin Brothers, heighten this tension. They mock the object’s function while confronting the viewer with discomfort, echoing the emotional dissonance of navigating trauma and isolation.

Through Spoon Warmer I, Anderson reflects on how trauma shapes our relationship with the objects and symbols around us. The knife, with its ability to harm, becomes a metaphor for the sharp edges of human connection—intimate yet dangerous. The work also examines societal rituals of care and hospitality, questioning their sincerity and exposing the fragility they often conceal.

While deeply personal, Spoon Warmer I addresses broader themes of vulnerability, violence, and the contradictions of human behaviour. Its fragile and exaggerated form captures the tension between harm and care, trust and deceit, seriousness and absurdity. It invites viewers to reflect on the ways we try to mend, protect, and connect—often revealing our own weaknesses in the process.