MouseTraps
Royal College of Art, 2005
These traps have been developed only to catch mice, not to kill them. It’s up to the catcher to decide the future of the mouse.
The materials and mechanisms used are very simple: clear glass, metal spring, paper clip, and metal nut. The concept was developed thinking in a simple, elegant and efficient way to catch mice.
The principle of the readymade have been used. These are generic clear glass objects that we have at home: a pint glass, a light bulb, a soy bottle and a planting pot.
Mouse in a Pint is a beer glass upside down with a breadstick attached to a spring. The spring keeps the glass elevated so the mouse can get in. Once mouse nibbles the breadstick, this breaks and the glass collapses, keeping the mouse inside.
Sold at Thorsten Van Elten.
Mouse in a Bottle is a medium size soy sauce bottle, which is positioned horizontally with a tapered spring in the neck. The mouse squeezes in, expanding the tip of the spring, and is able to get inside the bottle. Once inside, it cannot go back out since the spring cannot be expanded from the inside. It works like a lobster trap or a Chinese finger trap.
Mouse in a Light Bulb is a cut big light bulb with a heavy weigh in the bottom. The container is positioned horizontal with the nut. Once the mouse steps in, the nut is released and the light bulb tilts straight up, catching the mouse inside.
Mouse in a Planting Pot is a planting pot which has a long spring attached on the top going down outside. Once the mouse climbs up to the end of the spring, this bends in and the mouse falls inside the container. The mouse gets trapped inside the pot since the spring has returned to its original position.
Modeling for these pictures you can see my gerbils, Manolito and Felipe.