Hasta La Ideas

Papercraft becomes motion graphic-inspired art

Having just sold his first framed piece and a short-film project getting underway, Sao Paulo-based Ricardo Filomeno is poised to turn his whimsical papercraft hobby into a profession.

Filomeno and his girlfriend, art director Carol Bella, who also works with the medium in her free time, are collaborating on an experimental papercraft horror amusement park project. Inspired by The Funhouse, the short film will employ live action rather than stop-motion as a way to animate the scenes and characters. They’re currently in the testing stage, playing around with simple motors and tiny lamps to see how they might be incorporated to pull off the scenes filmed inside the house. The project is expected to be completed in three months.

Filomeno, a freelance motion graphics artist who primarily works in Brazil’s advertising industry, was first turned on to the art form in 2008, particularly by the pieces of Los Angeles artist Elsa Mora, and trips to France.

For Filomeno, his work creating graphics provided a natural foundation for his new endeavor. He started making various pieces in his spare time, creating cameo brooches of pop culture characters found in comic books and Wes Anderson and sci-fi films. A recurring personality is Deus Mendingo, which translates roughly as “hippie God” in English. Filomeno originally used the pieces as business cards to make a lasting impression on potential clients of his animation work, but after participating in a bazaar in São Paulo last year and successfully selling a few, it was obvious his work could reach a bigger audience.

With plans to show his pieces on a bigger scale, Filomeno is set to share his burgeoning hobby well beyond São Paulo. For more information, or to order custom pieces visit the artist’s website, and keep an eye out for his paper-craft horror show later this year.

Knitting, knotting, weaving and other handywork from the art and design fairs in Miami

In our second look at the common threads running through Art Basel and its satellite fairs, we shed light on the knitted, knotted, woven and other handywork that elevated traditional craft techniques to an artistic level. While we all were taken by Ambach & Rice Gallery‘s presentation of Ellen Lesperance‘s flattened-out sweater diagrams (covered on Cool Hunting last April), below are ten works new to us that celebrate sheer artistry.

Disciplinary artist Angela Ellsworth turns prairie attire into slightly sinister works with her series of sculptural hats. This 2010 piece, “Seer Bonnet VIII” is made from nearly 20,000 pearl corsage pins and fabric—a stunner we saw at the Lisa Sette Gallery at Art Miami.

Brian Wills exhibited at Nada with his 2011 work “Untitled (Blue Cross)”—a perfectly woven intersection of ribbons that is as imaginative as it is structured.

“My Decoy” and “Walking Heart” are both 2011 office chair assemblages by Canadian artist Brian Jungen, in which stretched elk hides are held together with tarred twine. The unique works were on view through Casey Kaplan gallery at Art Basel.

Passing away in 2010 at 99-years-old, Louise Bourgeois’s small sewn fabric collages represent her philosophy that “art is a guaranty of sanity.” Our favorite among the series is the 2004 tapestry called “Fabric BOUR-6821,” which was on view through Galleri Andersson/Sandstrom at Art Miami.

Augusto Esquivel stopped pedestrians at Art Miami with his trio of sculptures on view at Now Contemporary Art. Strategically placed buttons hang to reveal a gramophone, grandfather clock and an antiquated telephone.

Seoul’s Gallery Seomi brought multiple intriguing chairs to DesignMiami/ but we couldn’t escape the fine craftsmanship of Bae Sehwa‘s walnut chaise. Brilliantly curved, it’s as easy on your eyes as it is on your seat.

Exhibited through Lehmann Maupin gallery at Art Basel, “Specimen Series: New York City Apartment – 1” is Do Ho Suh’s version of standard utilities and fixtures found in urban rentals, delicately crafted in polyester fabric.

Beginning outside with palm trees covered in men’s dress shirts, Finish sculptor Kaarina Kaikkonen continued to impress at Art Miami with her “And The Sea Was Empty” installation, originally created in 1998.

At Art Basel, Berlin’s Neugerriemschneider gallery spotlighted Simon Starling’s clever bike concept, called “Carbon (Urban).” The 2006-designed bike features a chainsaw for a chain and comes equipped with chopped wood.

Enrique Gomez de Molina conflates taxidermy techniques to create exquisitely creepy animals, such as this 2011 work called “Tauro”—a bison made from ring neck pheasant feathers. Spotted at Art Miami, de Molina is represented by Bernice Steinbaum Gallery.

Contributions by Josh Rubin, Jonah Samson and Karen Day

Cakes decorated like creepily realistic babies and pencils with the alphabet painstakingly carved into their tips are among the exhibits at power of Making, which opened at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London yesterday. 

Top: Alphabet by Dalton Ghetti, 1990-2005 © Sloan T. Howard Photography
Above: Sculpted baby cake by Michelle Wibowo, 2006, © Michelle Sugar Art

Organised in collaboration with the Crafts Council and curated by Daniel Charny, the show also includes work by Thomas Heatherwick and shoe designer Marloes ten Bhömer.

Above: Crochetdermy Bear by Shauna Richardson, 2007, © Shauna Richardson

Over 100 hand-made curiosities on show range from surgical equipment to musical instruments to art objects.

Above: Rotationalmouldedshoe by Marloes ten Bhömer, 2009, © Marloes ten Bhömer

Read Alastair Sooke’s review of the exhibition in our Dezeen Wire story.

Above: Blonde Lips headpiece by Charlie Le Mindu, 2009, © Manu Valcarce

The exhibition runs until 2 January 2012.

Above: Anemone trilby hat by Sylvia Fletcher, James Lock & Co. Ltd, 2010-11, © James Lock & Co. Ltd

Here are some more details from the V&A:

Power of Making
A V&A and Crafts Council exhibition
6 September 2011 – 2 January 2012

This autumn, the V&A and Crafts Council will celebrate the role of making in our lives by presenting an eclectic selection of over 100 exquisitely crafted objects, ranging from a life-size crochet bear to a ceramic eye patch, a fine metal flute to dry stone walling. Power of Making will be a cabinet of curiosities showing works by both amateurs and leading makers from around the world to present a snapshot of making in our time.

Above: King Silver’ gorilla sculpture by David Mach RA, 2011, ©Private Collection, photographer Richard Riddick

The exhibition will showcase works made using a diverse range of skills and explore how materials can be used in imaginative and spectacular ways, whether for medical innovation, entertainment, social networking or artistic endeavour. Works on display will include moulded shoes by Marloes ten Bhömer, new Saville Row tailoring by Social Suicide, furniture such as a spun metal rotating chair by Thomas Heatherwick to individual handcrafted puppets from the 2009 film Fantastic Mr Fox, a six-necked guitar, bio-implant embroidering to aid surgical implants, a lion-shaped Ghanaian coffin, extreme cake decorations and new technologies such as 3D printing.

Above: Urban picnic table by Gareth Neal, 2010, © Gareth Neal Ltd

Daniel Charny, who is curating the exhibition, said: “This exhibition will celebrate the importance of traditional and time-honoured ways of making but also highlight the extraordinary innovation taking place around the world. We aim to show how the act of making in its various forms, from human expression to practical problem solving, unites us globally. We hope the exhibition will inspire people and cause them to more thoughtfully consider the role of making in their lives, in their society, in commerce and in education.”

Above: Widow dressmaker pin dress by Susie MacMurray, 2009, Loaned by Manchester Art Galleries, © Ben Blackall 2011

Rosy Greenlees, Executive Director, Crafts Council said: “The Crafts Council and V&A partnership is a very fruitful one, enabling the development of ambitious contemporary craft exhibitions that are seen by very significant audiences. Power of Making is our second partnership exhibition and will focus on the universality of making. Over 100 hand-made objects from around the world will reveal the ingenuity of makers and highlight the influence of craft skills in a multitude of settings and across many industries.”

Above: Picking Daisies glass hand grenade by Layne Rowe, 2011, © Layne Rowe

There will be a recently completed work by David Mach, a giant gorilla created of metal coat hangers, which will stand in the V&A’s Grand Entrance, outside the Porter Gallery.

Above: God Save the King, F*** Hitler by Major A. T. Casdagli RAOC, 1941, © Captain A. T. Casdagli

The exhibition will encourage visitors to consider the process of making, not just the results. There will be commissioned documentary footage filmed at individual maker’s studios and factories, to provide an insight into how the knowledge of making is preserved. These will include Watson Bros. Gunmakers, CPP car makers in Coventry, John Lobb shoemakers and Moorfield Hospital’s prosthetic eye maker. There will also be a dedicated ‘Tinker Space’ for demonstrations and a wide programme of activities for visitors.

Above: a Prosthetic Suit for Stephen Hawking with Japanese Steel by Michael Rea, 2007, © Contemporary Art Museum Virginia Beach

People from around the world will be invited to upload short films about making to a dedicated open submission website and a selection of the best entries will be continually screened in the exhibitions making area.

Above: Miniature die cast ‘Chevy Van’ by Kevin Cyr, 2010, ©Kevin Cyr

Power of Making comes at a time when the loss of skill is threatening cultural practice and impacting on commercial industries. However, there is also a resurgence of making currently taking place as a means of self expression, social participation and cultural definition. The exhibition will examine and celebrate the expertise, knowledge and innovation demonstrated in objects, supporting the importance of traditional making skills and the drive towards new ways of working.

Power of Making is the second exhibition in the V&A/Crafts Council partnership.

6 September 2011 – 2 January 2012 in the Porter Gallery
Open daily 10.00 – 17.45 and until 22.00 every Friday

See also:

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Akio Hirata’s Exhibition of Hats by Nendo	A Flip Flop Story by Diederik Schneemann	Blaue Blume by Undergrowth Design

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American designer Louie Rigano has created a range of teapots that combines mass-produced wooden handles and lids with individual hand-thrown bodies.

The body of the pot is made of unglazed clay and each one will be unique.

The lid of the vessel also forms a cup.

Rigano designed the teapot while living in Japan for a year.

More tableware »

Here are some more details from the designer:

“A series of teapots questioning perfection as an end-goal and exploring the relationships between textures and between mass-production and handmade.

The parts of the teapot that one comes into contact with are streamlined, smooth, and easily mass-produced. The body, however, is handmade and wheel-thrown, unglazed and rough. The unglazed ceramic body is easily capable of becoming well-seasoned after repeated use; which is a prized quality found in old teapots.

The wooden fixtures, which get handled, are able to develop a richly aged surface and patina after repeated use.

The lids, which also serve as teacups, and the handles, both made of oak, are a standard size and shape and can be produced in multiples in industry with ease. The ceramic body is thrown by a potter who simply must make the rim and handle plug the same standard size.

Besides these two requirements, the potter has complete artistic freedom to create the teapot in any shape or dimension.”

I’m originally from New Jersey, though I have been awarded a Fulbright grant and I am currently studying and travelling in Japan for a year.

My focus is on traditional Japanese design philosophy and aesthetics, and their role in modern design and culture. During the course of the year I am designing and fabricating objects that will not only pay homage to Japan’s history, but integrate and rework the precepts of these traditional aesthetics into products designed for mass production in the current age.

This I hope will provide an alternative point of view to the heavily globalized design world. My work deals with pared down ideals. I seek a thoughtful and occasionally humorous meditation on contemporary notions of luxury, utility, and cultural values, conveyed by the most direct and simple means.

See also:

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Tea pot by Lee West for Eno	Tea pot by Designerette	Tea pot by Patrick Frey