A perfectly simple aluminum stand, Mika is a new accessory from Bluelounge that offers convenient reading across all portable devices. The height of the stand can accommodate everything from smart phones to oversized tablets, cradling them snugly between rubber ends. The angle is meant for reading or typing on…
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Announced today, the new HTC One is one of the most exciting releases in recent memory from the Taiwanese manufacturer. At first glance, the flagship phone features an understated, yet premium form with its 4.7″ edge-to-edge HD display set seamlessly in to a unibody aluminum shell. The device feel…
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There’s nothing like a good back story to add extra depth to the work of an already gleamingly creative artisan, like that of jewelry designer Mike Årsjö. Tapped as one of the top new innovators from a hotbed of Nordics, Årsjö was born in Puerto Montt, Chile and then…
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Hardback homes for the heavily anticipated device
Apple consumers are getting their hands on the hotly anticipated iPhone 5 for the first time today, so it’s time to start thinking about cases. This past week has seen manufacturers releasing prototypes and (in some instances) rolling out production for cases that accommodate the taller, slimmer design. Scouring…
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Steel kimonos, diamond-plated skateboards and hand-anodized aluminum paintings
The anodization of aluminum—a process common in everything from carabiners to satellites to medical equipment—is yet another factory method to fall under the provenance of fine art. Miya Ando‘s work, created through a process of dip-dying aluminum blocks in electrically-charged vats, are nothing short of industrial watercolors. “I like this ability for a plate of metal to evoke soft imagery and ephemerality,” says Ando. The process hardens supple aluminum, adding to the rigid surface the artist’s own subtly colored gradients. Ando explained this process and more during a recent stop at her Brooklyn studio.
The descendent of swordsmiths-turned-priests, the half-Japanese Ando brings her family’s unconventional origins into her art. “Furisode Kimono” is a 180lbs sculpture made of steel squares that have been soldered together with sterling silver rings. The process for this work is different from the aluminum pieces, using heat rather than anodization to achieve the gradient. In both, the effect is permanent and established within the properties of the metal. “It’s embedded; you can touch it and it won’t come off,” explains Ando.
When tasked with describing her anodized work, Ando says, “They’re paintings that use sculptural materials.” The planar works have a texture and visual weight that communicates heft in spite of the light and airy gradients. While the highly finished pieces indicate a degree of precision, Ando’s process is largely self-taught. After gaining access to an industrial facility, the artist began to hand-dye plates in anodizing baths—a process that made quite a sight for on-site workers.
Past work from Ando has included skateboard decks cut from diamond-plated steel as well as bioluminescent leaves. She also gained praise for a monumental piece honoring the World Trade Center that was made of steel salvaged from the towers’ supporting structure. Her fascination for materials bred the recent release of the “Iron and Silk Scarf“, a chiffon scarf printed with the image of one of her metal works. Ando is currently working on a new series will feature buddhist prayers scratched on aluminum with a tungsten carbine pencil.
Miya Ando’s work can currently be seen at New York’s Sundaram Tagore as well as Madison Galleries in La Jolla, CA. See more images of the studio in our slideshow
Jean Prouvé’s 1949 design steals the show at Design Miami/Basel
As Design Miami/Basel continues to establish itself as the dominant satellite fair of Switzerland’s Art Basel, Galerie Patrick Seguin upped the ante this year by installing a 1,000 square-foot aluminum structure designed by Jean Prouvé. The Metropole Aluminum House was originally created as a school for rural communities that could be pre-fabricated and erected on-site. While the structure was never implemented on a mass scale, Prouvé’s aluminum school won the 1949 competition hosted by the Ministry of Education, which called for a “mass-producible rural school with classroom and teacher accommodation.”
The open floor-plan is made possible by a duo of load bearing portal frames, which drop like giant tuning forks into the main space. Beyond the living quarters and classroom, the structure can also accommodate a winter garden protected by glass. On the interior, the combination of wood and aluminum does the double duty of offering advanced heat control and a forward-thinking aesthetic. Prouvé designed the easily erected house with the post-war community of Lorraine in mind, who would require temporary structures during the reconstruction effort.
At the fair, the nostalgic appearance seemed to strike a chord with design lovers who continue to think about readily assembled structures for remote and disaster areas, Prouvé’s house representing a premonition for this increasingly important architectural niche.
See more images of the Metropole Aluminum House in our slideshow.
All images by Josh Rubin
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