Paris metalwork
On a recent trip to Paris I was struck by the intricately detailed metalwork to be found all across the city. Here are a few of my favourite examples.
no commentsRIP CMYK
You can now download my article about the rise of digital design publishers for the lovely Port magazine from their website here. Ironically, this feature was misprinted in the magazine so the digital download is the only way to read the whole thing!
no commentsPulse 2011
Iris Hantverk
Identifying trends at a show like Pulse is often a tricky task as the wares on display tend not to have had a great deal of design input. This year saw a few retailers focusing on utilitarian products that combine a function-led aesthetic simplicity with materials that seem determined by austere conditions and a nostalgic sensibility.
no commentsBetween the Lines
Clipped Cube by Ron Gilad
When presented against a neutral background, black outlines have a quality reminiscent of pen marks on paper: three dimensionality is revealed when viewed from different angles, as if seeing a Patrick Caulfield painting come to life. A number of contemporary designers are applying this graphic approach to products and furniture, inviting the viewer to fill in the negative spaces to gain an understanding of form and function.
no commentsGraffiti by End of the Line
To mark the release of Disney’s Tron: Legacy, large-scale graffiti experts End of the Line were commissioned to create a 17 metre fresco in East London.
no commentsClassics Reissued
50th anniversary AJ Lamp by Arne Jacobsen
Owning the rights to reproduce a seminal piece of design is a coup for any retailer, however, it would be unwise to rely purely on sales of the original versions as this drastically limits the potential market. A popular solution employed by many manufacturers is to sporadically release alternative versions, often in limited edition runs, offering an opportunity to own a classic design in a version that is different to that which everyone else already has.
no commentsSigns of Sweden
During a brief visit to Stockholm and Gothenburg I noticed an abundance of classic neon signs outside shops, restaurants and bars. It may be related to the influx of American culture that occurred following the second World War or perhaps it just made a lot of sense in a country where it’s dark a lot of the time! Either way, these retro signs fit perfectly with the vintage vibe that is massive in Sweden right now.
no commentsDeath in Design
Julia Lohmann - Lasting Void
After reviewing Julia Lohmann’s latest work for Gallery Libby Sellers (see previous post) I thought I’d examine the recent prevalence of morbid symbology and references to death in design in a bit more detail. Lohmann herself is certainly one of the key protagonists in this trend having based the majority of her previous work on giving a new lease of life to animal carcasses that would normally become waste. Two such pieces featured in the recent exhibition Telling Tales: Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in which curator Gareth Williams dedicated an entire section to the theme of death entitled Heaven and Hell. The show featured disturbingly direct evocations of human vulnerability (the flesh-like Rubber Table and a rug resembling pools of blood called The Lovers by Fredrikson Stallard) as well as references to the terror of natural or man-made disasters and acts of human brutality and war. As well as Lohmann’s work there were a number of other designers who made use of taxidermy to create provocative objects with a dark sense of humour including Kelly McCallum, Niels van Eijk and Wieki Somers.
1 commentA Return to “Good Design”
Vincent van Duysen - Pottery
The inevitable result of our sudden dive into recession and the endless talk of cuts, deficit and depression is the call for designers to stop fooling around and get back to the business of helping people live more efficient lives by creating purely functional products that do just what you expect them to do, preferably using as few materials as possible for the lowest possible price. No frivolity, no fancy functions and no fun. This is the antithesis of the expressive and expansive attitude that dominated design and architecture in the noughties where newness was a necessity – whether it was adding more functions to electronics than anyone could possibly know what to do with or generating new forms and adding superfluous decoration just because we could.
1 comment