Hasta La Ideas

All images and reporting by Carren Jao. Above, the “Parker” from the Retro Collection

In the sea of flashy exhibition design and flashing lights, it was a relief to be drawn in by the woodwork of Jory Brigham Design. My wandering eye first settled on the “Silent Evolution” bench displayed in the Dwell Outdoor section. I loved the contrast of the dark teak wood and concrete bench that served double-time as a planter. I wanted to know more about the item, but didn’t see anyone I could talk to. It was only days later that I finally happened by their booth on the showfloor. Finally! Someone I can talk to about the “Silent Evolution!”

The seating’s inspiration comes from the concept of comfortable silence. “You know, when you’re with somebody and you kind of feel that freedom to not to talk and just simply sit in silence?” explains artist and designer Tyler Wohlford, one of Jory Brigham Design’s collaborators. Indeed, “Silent Evolution” captures that feeling of serenity with its clean lines, mixed materials and the added comfort of a living, breathing organism planted right beside you. Not to mention that the bench is made from durable, weather-resistant materials, perfect for the outdoors.

“Silent Evolution” bench

Jory Brigham Design is based out of San Luis Obispo, California. Brigham comes from generations of woodworkers, architects and designers. All his uncles and cousins work with wood and create rustic products—making Brigham a black sheep of sorts.

Clearly, Brigham’s work is anything but rustic. Wohlford points out that everything (even the fluting and texturing on the furniture) is handmade without the help of CNC routers. Extra wow.

Check out videos of Jory creating the fluting by hand after the jump and go to his blog for more process shots.

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Images and reporting by Carren Jao

Echo Park couple Benjamin Luddy and Makoto Mizutani are the duo behind Scout Regalia, a name that was intentionally dreamed up to evoke visions of loyalty, integrity and warmth. “It evokes our aesthetic and what we’re interested in:” Mizutani explains, “Looking at ways that we can create something that’s both clean and functional, not ornamental.” Adds Luddy, “The name rings a bell with a humble version of modernism.”

True to their inspiration, Scout Regalia’s creations have a certain integrity about them. The design studio works a lot with locally-sourced wood. At this year’s Dwell on Design Remodelista Market, the couple showcased their Garden Kit made of FSC-certified redwood with baked enamel heavy gauge steel brackets that add a nice pop of color to the planter. Over time, the wood will acquire a gray patina, contrasting well with the colorful metal bracket.

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All images and reporting by Carren Jao

The clucking of live chickens generated some excitement at this weekend’s Dwell on Design and I think it’s safe to say that urban homesteading is on its way up. We reported about RAAD Architects’ chicken coop during this year’s ICFF in New York and we’re excited to see a Los Angeles counterpart presented at Dwell on Design. But this time, the modernist coop was more of a moveable feast.

Los Angeles-based design duo 100xBTR made its first foray into designing for the urban homesteader with a movable chicken coop on wheels and a Japanese-style beehive. Although the outfit typically designs lighting and furniture, one half of the duo, Will Rollins, actually keeps bees and chickens and addressed some of his needs through the design.

Live chickens caught the attention of many Dwell on Design visitors—especially those under four feet tall. Adults got a kick out of the coop’s “arial view”: a distinctive roof with hexagonal cutouts protects the chickens and allows air circulation in the chicken run.

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Next stop: not Brooklyn. The much-buzzed about “Art in the Streets” exhibition (Banksy-subsidized admission! Limited-edition Nike sneakers designed by Geoff McFetridge!) won’t be coming to the Brooklyn Museum after all, the institution announced today. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, where it is on view at the Geffen Contemporary through August 8, the first major U.S. museum survey of graffiti and street art had been scheduled to move to the Brooklyn Museum—its only other venue—from March 30 through July 8 of next year.

“This is an exhibition about which we were tremendously enthusiastic, and which would follow appropriately in the path of our Basquiat and graffiti exhibitions in 2005 and 2006, respectively,” said Arnold L. Lehman, director of the Brooklyn Museum, in a statement released this afternoon. “It is with regret, therefore, that the cancellation became necessary due to the current financial climate. As with most arts organizations throughout the country, we have had to make several difficult choices since the beginning of the economic downturn three years ago.” Curated by MOCA director Jeffrey Deitch and associate curators Roger Gastman and Aaron Rose, “Art in the Streets” traces the development of graffiti and street art from the 1970s to the global movement it has become today, concentrating on key cities such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London, and Sao Paulo. No word as to whether MOCA will seek an alternate 2012 venue for the show—a mix of paintings, mixed media sculptures, and interactive installations—at this late date.

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“Giant Fish” and “Giant Sea Turtle,” sculptures created by artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi and a team of volunteers from washed-up ocean debris.

At first glance, the giant fish that will soon greet visitors to the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California, looks like a whimsical nod to the nonprofit veterinary hospital and research center’s aquatic patient population. In fact, 16-foot-long Henry (as he is known to friends) is a colorful jumble of plastic bits, aluminum cans, dish soap bottles, lids, buoys, toys, and toothbrushes that washed up on nearby beaches. He is the creation of Oregon-based artist Angela Haseltine Pozzi and her team of volunteers, who transformed the 7,000 pounds of ocean trash they collected into sculptures of marine life threatened by the detritus.

Henry and 14 more of Pozzi’s artworks—including a giant squid and a reef of scavenged styrofoam—will go on view Saturday in “Washed Ashore: Plastics, Sea Life, and Art,” a free exhibition that runs through October 15 at the Marine Mammal Center. According to executive director Jeff Boehm, as many as 10% of the hospital’s admissions (think elephant seals, harbor seals, and California sea lions) are due to human interactions, including those related to entanglements in trash. “As the beaches around the world wash up more stuff from the land and less from the sea I believe we must examine our relationship to rivers and oceans,” notes Pozzi, who grew up wading in the Pacific ocean and digging in the muck of Puget Sound. “I attempt to scoop up part of what might be below the blue waters and place it in front of us. In some ways it may be an escape, but at the same time a confrontation.”

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