Hasta La Ideas

Shanan Campanaro reflects on her “Poolside” collection and the art of designing patterns

Using little more than Muji gel ink pens Shanan Campanaro creates highly detailed drawings then degrades them with a dash of water to reveal unexpected patterns for her line of wallpaper, pillows and scarves, Eskayel. Her simple set of tools provides the foundation for an extensive process that involves painting and then digital manipulating her analog work. We recently caught up with the self-proclaimed neat freak at her Williamsburg studio to learn more about her latest collection, and the surprising way in which she creates such whimsically structured motifs.

Campanaro starts by drawing, usually working small. She uses the water-soluble Muji pens (or sometimes Higgins inks) to paint primarily pictures of animals, and then distorts the lines by flicking water onto the paper to make the ink bleed. “I like to work on a couple pieces of paper on top of each other so that it sinks through, and then I’ll draw the same thing a couple of times,” she explains. While she prefers pens over brushes for cleaner lines, she then counteracts that precision with a loose application of water. Campanaro demonstrated her method for us on a painting of a rooster she is doing for an upcoming exhibition called “Rare Birds”. Although “everything comes from a painting”, at the end of the day “everything has to be done on the computer”.

While she says she always paints stuff “not for wallpaper”, this medium is often at the back of her mind. While painting, Campanaro tends to notice an element that might look good as wallpaper so she’ll stop and photograph the work at that point because, she explains, “for the painting to have more contrast and depth and look good as a painting, you kind of have to ruin the part that was good as wallpaper.”

The creation of the pattern marks the beginning of the digital aspect of the process. After scanning in a photograph of her painting, she begins to inspect it in Photoshop, looking for interesting areas where the ink has bled. This begins a lengthy trial-and-error process where Campanaro zooms in on and crops a fraction of the painting, copies it, multiplies it and decides if it makes a harmonious pattern. As we saw on our visit, this part of the operation relies heavily on Campanaro’s trained artistic eye and experience as a designer.

The Central St. Martins grad is mostly inspired by travel, and she enjoys bohemian settings in places like Indonesia, Mexico or Capri. These destinations tend to show up as the themes for her collections, although her latest, “Poolside“, draws from time spent back home at her parents’ house in San Diego. The collection includes eight different patterns, and spans bold geometric designs in “Solitaire” to the abstract motif of “Splash”.

Campanaro—who’s also an unexpected sneaker freak—likes working in the commercial realm of art. After receiving her degree in fine art, she began looking for jobs at streetwear labels and ended up making T-shirts in London with two friends from school. This actually marked the beginning of Eskayel, whose name is a phonetic combination of their initials, S, K and L. The company is now a solo act with a different purpose, but Campanaro still collaborates frequently, and she co-founded the charitable arts organization FOOLSGOLD with her friend Maria Kozak, where many of her wildlife paintings end up on display.

The industrious designer never stops thinking of ways to expand her talents. Whether experimenting with different types of paper, creating custom textiles for furniture upholstery or adding new products to her shop—last year she threw woven baskets into the mix of wares comprising her online shop—Campanaro continues to successfully combine fine art with commercial sensibility. Keep an eye out for her at the Javits Center during the upcoming ICFF in NYC, and for her next collection, “Akimbo”, debuting July 2012.

Images by Karen Day. See more in the slideshow below.

Visitors are in for a multi-sensory experience pulling ropes to play music at Sonos Studio

Bringing their passion for the emotional connection to sound, Sonos opened the Sonos Studio in LA to celebrate the listening experience. The new event space will host listening parties, screenings, lectures, workshops, concerts, and art installations. At their first preview event, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff shared tracks from his upcoming album and an intimate live set for the first 100 people to visit the Sonos Studio. On the other side of the room, about 100 ropes hang from a large square pegboard by LA artist Luke Fischbeck for his installation, “Center of Attention”.

Each rope ends in a colorful metal tube resembling the aglet on a shoelace. A close look at the elements of his striking sculptural piece reveals tiny wires strung through each strand that when touched emit sounds from the wireless Sonos music system rigged above the grid. Instructions for how to interact with “Center of Attention” are posted on the canted gallery walls: “Touch more than one rope to play. Each rope carries a signal which is carried through your body. Touch another person. Combine the signals. See what sounds you can find.”

The sounds in “Center of Attention” have a mysterious, magical quality. Random tones flow together in the kind of piece that might be composed for a contemporary dance concert or modern production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, pairing nicely in the lighthearted activity within the space. After Jimmy Cliff’s set, the crowd gravitated to the installation and interacted with it by touching the ropes and each other, playing with the different tones made by the six colors for some sophisticated, fun Twister-like game play. Deeper investigation by studio visitors inspired some hand-holding, concentrated listening and happy smiles all around, it seemed.

The playful experimenting with sound is just what the creators of Sonos had in mind when they hatched their plan to open an interactive studio space. Their new studio in the La Brea Art and Design District features everything they need to experience state-of-the-art sounds through live and recorded music, multimedia events and art installations. The custom-built pyramid-shaped red and black foam sound tiles that line the ceiling not only help the acoustic but also add a graphic element to the 4,000 square foot room.

With the intention of creating a community space, Sonos asked architect Rania Alomar of RA-DA, interior designers from The Studio Collective, Tyler King of Coffee Commissary, and furniture deisgn by Knibb Design to all collaborate on the space. Skateboarding legend Natas Kaupas also created a skateboard lending library complete with a playlist to accompany each deck.

Fischbeck’s “Center of Attention” is the first major art installation in the Sonos Studio. The artist often collaborates with Sarah Raha under the name Lucky Dragons on work exploring and experimenting with sound and touch for shows at MOCA and in the Whitney Biennial. We caught up with Fischbeck to learn more about the process behind creating “Center of Attention”.

How did the idea for the piece about?

It started as a way of trying something out, to see what would happen. I’ve been wondering about the way our sense of touch connects us through technology, as an easy way to extend ourselves into the world. On the other hand, when we touch one another directly we share a sense, actively. There’s a choice in this that is often playful, kind, sympathetic—and can bridge many differences.

Why is the Sonos Studio the right space for this installation?

As a site-specific installation, this piece would have turned out completely differently in any other space. I was drawn to the idea of Sonos Studio as a sort of in-between space. It’s both a gathering place, defined by a series of public happenings, and a place for objects, a place to listen and touch. It’s a platform for the presentation of things, but also a thing in itself, with its own very strong identity. Visitors taking part in an event find themselves caught between engaging with one-another and engaging with things. The installation tries to build on this in-between-ness, it’s a potential performance at all times, waiting to be activated in a playful way by anyone who stops by, and until then, just a part the wild background.

What materials did you use?

Pegboard, oak, painted steel, electric fence rope with conductive wire braided into it so that it carries a current along its length, a few electronic components, a lot of connecting wire, and a computer running custom software.

What was the process for installing the piece into the gallery?

Actually way more intense than originally planned: I’d wanted the installation to be an extension of the ceiling, hanging down almost to the floor so that it appeared to be both a part of the space and also floating independently off the ground. It turns out it takes four friends to help properly attach and align a floating rectangle! Then there was a lot of tedious wiring to get the electronics to work right, but hopefully now it just goes on its own.. until we have to take it down!

How long did the installation take from conception to installation?

There was a long quiet period after the initial idea, and then a big hurry at the end while we figured out the practical details and put it together…altogether about six months I think!

Explain how the touch activated elements work.

Each of the conductive ropes carries its own signal, a tuned circuit at an individual frequency. When you touch a rope you carry that tuned signal on your skin—touching another rope, or another person who’s also touching a rope, will combine signals, creating combinations of frequencies that are turned into sound by the software. Different kinds of touch, from gentle tickles to full grasps, affect how much of each signal is combined, meaning that each point of contact contributes to the overall sound.

How does the number of bodies in the space change the sound?

Any number of people can play the installation directly, by touching different ropes. People can also change the sound by bridging between those playing it directly. Any point of skin contact affects the ways the different signals mix together. There’s a range of effects that can be heard, from drastic swooping melodies to very subtle changes in texture, hopefully enough chaotic possibilities that it’s fun to play with…experimenting together with other people!

What other projects are you currently working on?

A community radio station, a platform for collaborative drawing (“Sumi Ink Club“), a few light-sensitive synthesizers… we’ll see!

“Center of Attention” by Luke Fischbeck in on view at Sonos Studio 9 May—6 June 2012.

Benchmark Diesel Motorbike

Coming from the West Coast to the best coast, Kyle Dell’Aquila is a Cupertino-native and a senior at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. Upon discovering Blender at the ripe young age of fifteen, Dell’Aquila found himself launched into the world of computer aided modeling and quickly down the rabbit-hole of design.

Hand Held Diesel Engine

Electrathon Car (in progress)

Personal Intaglio Resume

Dell’Aquila’s obsessive attention and passion for simple, analogue solutions is apparent throughout his work as he strives to design products that boast longevity and quality over recyclability. “I am a sucker for functionality for sure,” he says. “Functional and minimal are two different beasts but a lot of the times are lumped together in conversation. Dieter Rams, but not Bang and Olufsen.”

Below are two of his projects, his Energy Thesis: Benchmark Diesel Motorbike and the P3 Super Utility Roll-Top Bag.

Benchmark Diesel Motorbike

The Benchmark Diesel Motorbike is part of Dell’Aquila’s diesel energy thesis, done in collaboration with Parker Reid, a senior in the Furniture Department.

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Dezeen is media partner for the fifth annual World Architecture Festival, taking place in Singapore from 3-5 October, and our readers can get a 25% discount when they enter their projects for the awards programme (see below).

To kick off a series of videos about the awards, programme director Paul Finch explains what WAF is all about and sets the scene for this year’s event.

In the movie Finch talks about this year’s venue, the Marina Bay Sands hotel and conference centre (above) designed by Moshe Safdie, as well as describing the atmosphere at the first four festivals, which were held in Barcelona.

Dezeen readers can save 25% on the early rate cost of entering the WAF awards. Simply enter MPVOUCH25 in the VIP code box when registering to enter online (see voucher above for more details).

Here’s some info about WAF:

World Architecture Festival is the world’s largest live architecture festival and awards programme.

Now in its fifth year, the World Architecture Festival has attracted over 8000 attendees to date. 2012 is a landmark year for the Festival, heralding our relocation to the Asian gateway and design hub, Singapore. WAF’s move brings with it unparalleled opportunities for east to meet west and for you to obtain inspiration, develop your global network and plan new exciting projects.

In 2011 over 400 architects from across the globe were shortlisted and battled for a WAF award. The festival saw over 30 international practices become winners of a revered WAF yellow W trophy.

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The World Architecture Festival Awards offers you multiple opportunities to showcase your best work and most exciting ideas to the world, including the most influential names in the design and development community. All you have to do is decide which projects will be representing your practice at the world’s largest, live architectural awards programme and festival.

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How to enter the WAF Awards:

Entering the World Architecture Festival awards is easy. All entries must be submitted through our website www.worldarchitecturefestival.com

Just follow these simple steps:

»Open your WAF account or if you have entered WAF previously just log onto your existing account – log in here.
»Choose the section and category that you want to enter – remember you can enter a project into more than one category.
»Tell us what project you are entering
»Pay for your entry
»Create your online entry by adding images for the project, your details, a description and any professional credits – all entries must be completed by 30th June 2012.