Hasta La Ideas

L’estate è finita, ma in un’altra parte del mondo splende il sole e qualche fortunato starà valutando l’acquisto dei prodotti Tuuci, un’azienda americana specializzata nella costruzione di ombrelloni, gazebi e amache di alta gamma. Ho conosciuto questo marchio grazie all’ombrellone Manta che vedi nella copertina dell’articolo, la cui forma è ispirata all’animale marino di cui porta il nome. Tuuci è stata creata quindici anni fa da Dougan Clarke, ed ha ereditato dal suo fondatore l’esperienza e la passione per il mondo della marineria, che poi ha applicato a un ambito più ambio.

Si tratta di prodotti esclusivi, il cui elevato costo è giustificato dall’uso di soluzioni costruttive raffinate e durevoli, e da un design originale e ricco di riferimenti al mondo naturale.
Sicuramene il fascino di questi prodotti è dovuto anche alle splendide location che gli fanno da sfondo (esiste proprio una sezione del sito aziendale dedicata ai backstage della campagne pubblicitarie e degli eventi Tuuci) ma dietro questa immagine sofisticata c’è anche della sostanza.

Un altro ottimo esempio è Stingray, un innovativo sistema di ombreggiamento che può ruotare di 360° per seguire il movimento del sole e la cui forma, che ricorda la pinna di un cetaceo, permette di creare allestimenti di grande effetto.

Product news: Japanese studio Nendo has created a range of porcelain with patterns that play on archival designs from a traditional Japanese pottery.

The Ume-play and Karakusa-play collections were created in collaboration with Gen-emon, a 260-old ceramics company located in Arita, the Japanese town famed for its potteries in the Saga Prefecture on the northern part of Kyushu island.

The process involved a re-editing of one of the firm’s most well known patterns, a small plum-blossom repeat known as ume komon.

The ceramics also play with the traditional foliage scrollwork known as kara-kusa-e.

The process involved enlarging and re-arranging the original patterns by cutting them up, turning them upside down and layering the shapes.

The resulting pieces seem to have an eclectic mix of patterns at first glance but are tied together by the same basic shapes and the kiln’s identity of blue and white underglaze with contrasting dark and light blues.

The traditional porcelain method was also reinterpreted by introducing a charcoal-based resist method called sumi hajiki, in contrast to the usual way of filling in outlines. This method allowed for finer lines and reduced cost.

See more ceramics »
See more work by Nendo »

Photos by Akihiro Yoshida.

Some words from the designer:

Gen-emon is one of the most renowned Arita-yaki porcelain kilns, with a 260-year history dating to 1753.

We undertook an unorthodox re-edit of one of the kiln’s most famous patterns, a small plum flower repeat known as ‘ume komon’ and foliage scrollwork known as ‘karakusa-e’.

Like children playing with paper, we blew up the pattern until it was enormous, as though viewed through a magnifying glass.

We cut it up with scissors, pasted it, lined it up, turned it upside down and layered it, too.

This faux-naïve strategy allowed us to activate Gen-emon’s key visual signifiers – the blue and white underglaze and strong contrast between the dark and light blues – while developing a rich assortment of variations.

The result: a delightful selection of ceramics that may have different patterns, but can be used together on the table without breaking visual unity.

Traditionally, Gen-emon’s porcelains are made by drawing the outlines, then filling in the centre.

We introduced a charcoal-based resist method, ‘sumi hajiki’, that allows both fine lines and an accessible price for the consumer.

The ume-play collection upholds Gen-emon’s long history and traditions and reflects the kiln’s commitment to constant change and evolution.

The post Ume-play and Karakusa-play
ceramics by Nendo appeared first on Dezeen.

In 1960, photojournalist Ormond Gigli assembled 43 women, dressed them in refined, colorful garb and situated them in 41 windows across the facade of a building. Over 50 years later, the image born of that shoot…

Continue Reading…

Kanye West was in the news last week for venting his creative frustration, but he isn’t the only celebrity who wants to be a designer – Pharrell Williams, Brad Pitt, Vanilla Ice and even Buzz Aldrin have had a go at furniture and lighting. With varying degrees of success…

In an interview that was meant to be about his latest album with DJ Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1, West revealed he wants to design everything from water bottles to architecture and claimed to be “working with five architects at a time” to learn their craft.

He has already designed a line of high-top trainers for Nike and shown his womenswear collections at Paris Fashion Week.

West announced plans to start his own design company DONDA last year, and hoped to enlist a number of designers and architects to join him. In 2007 he commissioned architect Claudio Silvestrin to design his New York apartment.

Other famous faces branching into design include vocalist and producer Pharrell Williams, who designed a chair with transparent plastic caterpillar tracks for legs.

Rapper Vanilla Ice launched a collection of chandeliers and wall lamps earlier this year.

We’ve also featured a movie in which rapper Ice Cube, who previously trained as an architectural draftsman, explains his love of architecture and how he’s inspired by the work of renowned architects Charles and Ray Eames.

Away from music, actor Brad Pitt has created a range of furniture that features a dozen pieces including a bed, tables, chairs and a marble bathtub for two.

Pitt has also dabbled in architecture. His charity Make It Right signed up a series of architects including Frank Gehry, Morphosis and MVRDV to help provide solutions to the housing crisis created in Louisiana following Hurricane Katrina in 2008.

Titanic actress Kate Winslet and Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe are among Hollywood stars who have designed products for British brand Habitat.

Second man on the moon Buzz Aldrin created a lunar-inspired pendant lamp for the brand as well.

Finally, technology firm Blackberry named singer Alicia Keys as its creative director earlier this year while musician Moby began an architecture blog to post his photos and musings on the subject in 2012 – see it here.

We’ve also featured a roundup of architects who’ve tried their hand at designing shoes, which includes footwear by Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel and Oscar Niemeyer.

The post Special feature: design
by celebrities appeared first on Dezeen.

Passionné de typographie, Rizon Parein nous propose de découvrir avec la série « Objects » ses dernières créations 3D. Ce projet personnel, visuellement très impactant, démontre tout l’étendue du talent de l’artiste belge. A découvrir en images sur son site et dans la suite de l’article.