Dents and scratches, patinated by time, can be seen in the Iron Lady’s insulator discs; I didn’t treat the surface at all. The discs have been cut by water jet into four sections to form the bases of the trophies. I selected the beautiful and durable acrylic to complement them. The plates are connected to the bases, and together they create a square crossed by the insulator disc’s curve. They harmoniously combine old and new,” Rantanen explains.
Fingrid implemented the lifetime achievement trophies in cooperation with students of the Institute of Design and Fine Arts. The starting point for the commission was an old insulator disc, and students could come up with ideas to complement it. Fingrid’s jury then selected the winner.
Rantanen says that the design process was demanding before the idea about the contrast, the simple treatment of a difficult material, and the simple form became clear. She sought feedback on her idea at an early stage and made several cardboard and computer models. Economic reasons also guided the work: one disc provided enough material for four trophies.
“I spent a long time looking for the form. I understood that traditions and roots, as well as simultaneously aiming at an innovative and fresh future, are important values for Fingrid’s identity, and that’s what I wanted to express in my work. My aim is that the recipient can be proud of the distinguished career represented by the trophy, as well as the trophy itself. I wanted it to be impressive. The grooves in the disc represent a long career, and the history and development of the entire company, like the growth rings of a tree, or a curving horizon beyond which is the future.” •
