Reflecting on pin-up photography’s hottest femme fatale
In a time of rampant racism and sexism, before the word feminism had entered the American lexicon, there was a culture of taboo surrounding scantily clad pin-up girls that was dominated by men with cameras. In a scenario where women were always on one side the lens, an industrious…
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100 new design products
American architect Naomi Pollock curates a selection of 100 products that embody contemporary Japanese object design in her new book, “Made in Japan.” Her selections show what adherents of the Japanese aesthetic have known for some time—that a spoon is never just a spoon, a chair much more than…
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Watch craftsman Paul Cunningham create a custom piece
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With a deep-seated love of sports and an intuitive attraction to leather, Paul Cunningham implements his old-world craftsmanship and meticulous attention to detail into every Leather Head piece he creates. In our video, Paul walks us through the unique process of taking what he calls “the infinite palette that leather presents” to produce a the one-of-a-kind piece for the Jeep brand and USA Basketball and “Believe” Capsule Collection.
Rotterdam industrial shipyards inspire elegant porcelain fixtures
Dutch design duo Wendy Legro and Maarten Collignon found inspiration for their latest collection in the industrial shipyards of Rotterdam that surround their office. Better known as Wendy Maarten, they came together in 2010 after successfully partnering in several design contests around the Netherlands. “We noticed that working together makes us better,” says Legro. “The one thing that really connects us is that we really share the same taste.”
Their newest project, “Lightness in Lines,” is a lighting collection inspired by the pulley systems of Rotterdam’s shipyards and serves as a testament to their formally driven design process. “The Dutch translation for the word designer is ‘shape giver’—we literally want to give shape to objects but it should never lose its function,” says Collignon. “The aim for the ‘Lightness in Lines’ collection was to create elegant and friendly objects with a big focus on aesthetic qualities and form.”
The result is a line that’s both delicate and streamlined, consisting of long porcelain lamps balanced out by custom counterweights. The counterweight and the working pulley system allow one to easily adjust the height of each lamp. The collection comes in a variety of colors ranging from the industrial all-black iteration to the softer-looking gradient lamps that come in colors like grapefruit and yellow. “We use pigments to color the clay, the matte result almost makes it look like rubber which is perfect to reflect the industrial beauty of shipyards,” says Legro. “Working with ceramics means being challenged all the time. Close to our office we now have our porcelain workshop where we make every single lamp by hand with a lot of care, frustration and joy.”
The pulley lamps start at 375 € and can be ordered directly from their
website.
The renowned French designer creates an affordable luggage line inspired by musical structure and rhythm
Founded back in 1946, FPM-Fabbrica Pelletterie Milano is a leather goods brand that has come back in recent years with new captivating projects, with the mission to work “in the name of movement”. With the aim to connect with the world of design, the brand has released collaborations with worldwide renowned figures such as Stefano Giovannoni, Marc Sadler and Marcel Wanders.
FPM’s latest collaboration involves French archistar and designer Jean-Marie Massaud, also known for his previous works with B&B Italia, Axor Hansgrohe, Dior, Poltrana Frau
, Foscarini, Lancôme
and Renault
.
For FPM he has designed a collection of luggage called Globe, due for release in September 2012. The suitcases come in four sizes and are made of 100% pure polycarbonate. The shapes are a synthesis of function and aesthetics, where the technical solutions serve also as visual marks. We had the chance to meet Massaud for an exclusive interview and a preview of the Globe line.
This project is a collection of luggage for every kind of situation: it’s lightweight, solid, resistant, efficient, high level in terms of quality and looks. We tried to reduce instead of adding elements, both functionally and visually. As a result it looks like the archetypal professional luggage for photography equipment and electronic devices, but redefined for common use. However, in order to enjoy it you don’t need to carry complicated electronics or optical products. The shape is just a parallelepiped with smooth edges, with the addition of some ribs (two horizontal and two vertical) that give a bit of structure to the luggage.
The request from FPM was to have no design, no fashion references, no special attention to fancy colors. That’s why we chose a dark blue that is very close to black, a deep and intense khaki (to stay away from a strong military feel but to give a neat sense of efficiency), a red which recalls Chinese lacquer and a very light and warm grey. There’s also a special edition in white, just because we like white.
FPM wanted to make an affordable product: it’s the less expensive of the collection but not because we sacrificed on quality. For this same reason we also searched for a permanent basic item, meant to stay in the collection for a long time. It didn’t have to look trendy or fashionable—on the contrary, the focus was a simple shape and a large volume, so that we could invest more in the study of details and mechanical fittings. We didn’t want to have a simple basic article without allure or identity, but something meant to be long-lasting as a collection and—from the consumers’ point of view—able to stand the patina of time.
We have designed every single part of the suitcase in the constant quest of efficiency and lightness. We strengthened the structure of the wheels to protect and make them super strong with reinforced plastic and glass fiber. The zipper and the stitches are clearly visible to show how good they are. It’s a strong piece of luggage—efficient and robust—and it has to look like it.
We are planning a constant advancement of the project with new materials and innovative production processes, like different fibers for the shell and vacuum-formed neoprene on the inside. This is just a starting point—that’s why we have thought of a very efficient and gimmick-free volume, where the function is the first thing you can read.
At first glance, the surface could recall a sort of monochrome Mondrian painting.
In the future development of the project we foresee adding some pockets, to be placed in the central area defined by ribs. They could be used to place magazines and other flat items, and every customer will have the chance to choose the color, so the suitcase will actually look like an abstract painting. Customization is a clear request from the market—it could be spontaneous (like with souvenir stickers) but we are willing to let people choose some elements of their suitcase.
The first piece I did for an Italian company was the Inout
sofa for Cappellini. When the press saw it they wrote it was “minimalistic and organic”. I thought, “I never care about style, I focus on content. I strive to find a symbolic approach in terms of shape, able to express what’s inside.” I was a little upset with this interpretation, but then I realized this is how my work could be read.
In general I don’t like soft lines and shapes, but at the same time I don’t like a Cartesian way of thinking, where it’s nature against culture. I’m happy when I find a sensual and natural contour, that could be originated by mechanic needs but at the same time could be considered as the link between what’s hidden inside and what is visible outside, between meaning and structure. A simple parallelepiped with smooth edges is boring, unless you read smoothness as a quality. I like to create this kind of dialogue, and in music it’s the same.
I’m not a big connoisseur of contemporary music, but I have studied piano and classical music. In music you need structure and rhythm—if you have complete freedom you get lost but if you only have beat, then it’s boring, the sound becomes artificial and rigid. The combination of these tensions, both in music and design, shouldn’t be a compromise but a constant dialogue.
Prisms reflect “That Piece of Time” in a young designer’s new collection
Seoul-born designer Luna Seo integrates prisms into her new collection, “That Piece of Time”, capitalizing on both the symbolism and unique refractive qualities of the prism as a metaphorical reminder of small daily wonders. “The prism is a medium that represents pieces of time,” says Seo. “It unveils pieces of time through the meetings between light and light-refracting materials. The idea is that these objects grasp time from the sunlight and shed unexpected, unrepeatable moments.”
A recent graduate from the Konstfack in Stockholm, Seo’s collection premiered at the Konstfack Degree Show and will show again at Tent London during the London Design Festival this September. The collection includes a vase and a coffee table, both items showcasing Seo’s desire to awaken a sense of surprise and a renewed appreciation for nature in her viewer.
The coffee table is made from solid walnut and is comprised of two levels separated by a glass prism. The prism refracts light onto the floor below and also reveals the graphic hidden beneath the table depending on the viewer’s vantage point. Similar to the table, Seo’s vase is comprised of a prism suspended from a stainless steel rod and granite base.”As expected, the role of the vase is ultimately to hold flowers,” explains Seo. “This vase also creates its own blossoms in time with the collaboration of the sun. It shows what is embedded inside daylight and reveals its beauty.”
For more information regarding pricing and availability, check out Seo’s website.
Exclusive photographic series “Caps” and “Payphones”
Dirk Westphal has worked in several mediums throughout his career, putting images of goldfish on surfboards and creating copious volumes of collages, but he is probably best known for his photography, and his ability to combine of images and objects that explore and convey what he calls “perceptions of beauty” in society.
Westphal now becomes the latest addition to the designer roster at Maison 24, which will exclusively debut the artist’s latest works. The store will unveil two new photographic series, four pieces from Westphal’s “Caps” and three “Payphone” works. Only seven of each has been produced as large-scale C prints, reverse-mounted on Lucite.
Westphal’s newest exploration of color has come to fruition in a body of plastic caps that his wife and two sons have been collecting for the past three years. Four color stories in blue, white, red, and green create a vibrant, monochromatic punch using repurposed caps of different shapes and sizes.
“Payphones” marks Westphal’s compilation of photos of graffitied booths that he took in the early ’90s, possibly presuming the impending uselessness of the invention in the coming modern age.
Both series will be unveiled at Maison 24 Bridgehampton store 15 June 2012. “Payphones” are priced from $6,000 and “Caps” from $7,800 each.
Our conversation with the consummate collector on the thrill of the hunt
For anyone working in the area of fine art photography, Bill Hunt is a familiar name. The self-described “champion of photography” has demonstrated an unrivaled passion for the medium as a curator, dealer and collector for almost 40 years. Hunt’s photography collection is nearly as infamous within the field as the man himself. Ranging from anonymous images from the 19th century to modern masterpieces by the likes of Lee Friedlander, Diane Arbus and Richard Avedon, the pictures all share one thing in common–as Hunt says, they are “magical, heart-stopping images of people in which the eyes cannot be seen.”
Earlier this year, highlights from Hunt’s collection appeared in a beautiful and quite hefty book called “The Unseen Eye“, with thoughtful commentary alongside the images. We got the chance to talk to Hunt about his collection, pulling inspiring fodder from the book to spur the conversation.
On some level I have always been a gatherer of stuff—shells, books, musicals—so that gene was there. But I didn’t start out to collect; I just bought a photograph, and then another, and then another until one day I asked, “Holy shit, what’s happening?” Then you give yourself permission to proceed. I thought it was funny that it was art too. Go figure.
That makes your heart boom? That makes you stop in your tracks? It must be some sort of “Road to Damascus” divine moment of clarity. Look for those moments that say, “Pay attention to this because it will give your life meaning, or at least some resonance.” Un coup du foudre. Thunderbolt. Orgasm. Somehow in the midst of banality you find a moment of real sensation. It is not about beauty—although it can be. It is alarmingly like drug addiction, but real collecting is completely spiritual. Hallelujah! It is like listening to the tumblers in a lock when you try to open it. When they are lined up, you can hear it—you recognize that sound—before the door actually opens. You know you have made it in.
With photographs there are so many great, crazy questions. Why did a picture get saved if it doesn’t have informational value (Who is this?) or if it has condition issues? Your trash, my treasure. Great pictures operate in a special way. You are part of some equation. The way in which a completely peculiar piece speaks to you uniquely and powerfully depends on your being a collaborator. It means something to you. Very often it is the suggestion of something that brings you in—the enigma attracts. It’s as if as you finish a puzzle you didn’t know you were working on.
In my book there is a tintype portrait of a little girl. It is sweet but what makes it chillingly grand is its condition: the silvering has fallen off or oxidized, so it looks ghostly. She is a specter. Also what’s cool is that my sister spotted it at some antique fair and she snagged it because she knew it was a good one. That’s fun when you’ve got other people out there looking too.
I really don’t collect now. It’s not the same. The covetous part of collecting has passed, I think. I was shocked once to answer the question “Why did I have to own them?” by saying, after some hesitation, “Because then they were MINE.”
But I still want to look and have that thrill of engagement and then I want to write and to talk about it. That interests me intensely. That’s what I collect. I want others to look too. I am still a proselytizer but without as much stuff. Collecting is a way of creating order and insulating from chaos. I don’t need it or, more to the point, want it now. I want to be lighter in my feet, ready to move. It’s different. But wow, what a thrilling experience. As I say in the book, photography changed my life, it gave me a life.
Inspired by viruses, jewelry designers grow crystals on rope
by Adam Štěch
Exploring the formation of the jewel as a natural process and celebrating it as a performance, the latest collection of distinct jewelry from the conceptual Prague-based designers Daniel Pošta and Zdeněk Vacek of Zorya fuses dynamic drama with simple beauty.
The Virus collection, the most experimental project to date from this creative pair, launched last October at Designblok 2011 Prague design week. Their previous jewelry includes strangely organic creations of raw beauty in which biomorphological inspiration meets precise technical execution with materials such as gold, silver and stainless steel, as well as textiles, pearls and plastics—as exemplified in the pendants and earrings resembling flowers and beetles in the Bye Bye Birdie collection.
Discovering new possibilities of the performative qualities of contemporary design, the Virus collection marks a new chapter in the work of Pošta and Vacek. Inspired by the natural processes and substance of every virus and their ability to take hold of their victims and spread, they have created process-based jewelry using simple chemical reactions. Their instrument was the crystallization of alum, which was grown on raw ropes to create natural crystal structures. The upshot is an unorthodox connection of materials with natural and creative art processes.
The elegant collection, which was awarded the main prize at the annual Czech Grand Design Awards, is characterized by a beauty that seems both brutal and fragile.
Zorya’s collections range between $400-$1,000USD and are available at selected retailers in the Czech Republic, as well as at Charon Kransen Arts in NYC.
Cycling-ready heat-sealed rainwear that looks hot too
Braving the elements in style just got a whole lot easier thanks to Terra New York, a new line of fashion-conscious, 100% waterproof rainwear. The semi-transparent, smoky-hued jackets and accessories have NYC-centric names including the “Lower East Side” parka and the “Nolita” cape, and consist of materials like TPU/Urethane—which is derived from recycled materials—to provide structure while still allowing breathability.
Designed with urban cyclists and pedestrians in mind, Terra’s first collection also includes special pieces like a parka with an adjustable hood that can accommodate a helmet.
Each garment is created using a heat-sealing technique at the seams to block out the water. According to co-founders and cycling enthusiasts Yurika Nakazono and Marie Saeki, “Each part of the coat has its own mold, and each seam is heat-sealed with another mold. Our ‘Tribeca’ trench coat, for example, is built with 75 different molds, each one specially made for a specific seam. The seam mold is heated, then applied on to the fabric, merging two, three, or more layers of fabric together. No needle, no holes, no chemicals and no water inside!”
“The inspiration was to allow people to brave the rain with a smile, knowing they look good and are protected,” says Saeki. Nakazono agrees: “Living in Stockholm, Tokyo, London, Paris, and New York, I destroyed so many beautiful pieces of clothes, bags and shoes in the rain. Not finding any cool and 100% waterproof raincoats, I started thinking about doing it myself. Living in big cities, I never wanted the look of the British lord of the manor or the girl with the huge red and pink flowery rubber boots. I wanted to be chic, blend in the rain and feel comfortable.”
Jackets start at $240 and are available online at Terra New York.
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