Hasta La Ideas

A selection of mind-bending, multimedia works from Switzerland’s expansive art show

While several works at this year’s Art Basel touched upon the animalistic side of humanity, another parallel looked to the future with otherworldly and scientifically driven design. From a Nouveau Realism throwback to forward-thinking student work, there were numerous sculptures, paintings and more to stimulate the mind’s analytical side.

In studying experience design at Stockholm’s renowned Konstfack University, Farvash Razavi explores the possibilities of blending science and design. By working closely with scientists, Razavi’s work holds a fragile, if not sterile feel, lending it an aesthetic that blurs sculpture with science experiment. In her “Scale of Existence”, at Design Miami/Basel, suspended, beaker-like globes encircle meticulously detailed miniature circuit boards like a nucleus within a cell, reflecting the “invisible, macro-level” of creation.

Often described as “Outsider Art”, Chris Hipkiss‘ intricate drawings of elaborate scenarios immediately draw in the eye and threaten not to let go. Heightened with striking red accents, these mostly black-and-white works seem to center around an imposing subject engulfed in repeating characters and structures. Presented by Galerie Susanne Zander, Hipkiss’ “Fucking Plasma Sun Hater” and “Forget The Sun” present a menacing landscape dominated by whirling barbs and sharp slogans.

Resembling an alien fungi and constructed entirely of wood, Tony Cragg‘s “Round The Block” measures nearly seven by eight feet in size. The smooth surface of the massive sculpture leads the eye through the stratified structure of the individual wood plains, allowing one to look past the knots and imperfections to comprehend the piece as a whole. The way the undulations of the brilliantly polished wood both absorb and reflect light is the truly transforming characteristic of this beautiful contemporary sculpture. Keep an eye on Galerie Hans Meyer for more from Cragg.

While California-born artist Doug Aitken is best known for his experience in photography, sculpture, film and sound installations, his paint series “To Give It All Away” offers insight into his endless artistic talent. The 24 framed watercolor on paper works achieve incredible depth while managing a bizarre balance between chaotic and calm with cooling color choices and a large-scale presentation. By presenting the works in a grid, Aitken gives order to his cubist-inspired paintings while inviting the eye to explore the varied landscapes.

Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson is best known for his elemental use of basic materials to enhance his large-scale sculptures and installations. For Basel he presented “Your Two-Tone Dawn Light”, a hanging sculpture made of colored glass and LED lights encased in an aluminum and steel skeleton. The transfixing orb of burnt oranges and deep blues conjures images of science fiction movies and early ’70s psychedelic art. See NYC’s Tanya Bonakdar Gallery for more from Eliasson.

“Open Universe”, Ricci Albenda‘s suspended wire sculpture on view at Andrew Kreps Gallery, takes a three-dimensional approach to his signature optical illusion installation paintings. The sculpture presents an imaginary space seen through a fish-eye lens, bending the framework—and one’s mind. The minimalist material approach is particularly intriguing, showing how a simple take on a complex idea often holds the strongest impact.

Destined to be one of the shortest art movements in history from the very moment of its inception, the Nouveau Réalisme movement began in 1960 and fell apart shortly after. Galerie Georges-Philippe & Nathalie Vallois pays tribute to two of the 13 artists attributed to the movement with an exhibition of works by Ultra-Lettrists Jacques Villaglé and Raymond Hains. Focused on the symbolic use of letters and decolletage to make statements on capitalism, the duo’s distinct take on poster art is eternally relevant.

Images by Josh Rubin

Sex and punk elegantly balanced in the sculptural jewelry designer’s latest collection

Balance is the term that first comes to mind when describing Bliss Lau‘s approach to jewelry design. A soft-spoken Hawaiian with a New York sensibility, she embodies a certain duality that comes across in her work. The statement-making body accessories comprising Lau’s line are at once elegant and provocative, with a posh-punk aesthetic brilliantly captured this season by emerging illustrator Heather Benjamin.

Benjamin is the brains behind the lewdly funny, manga-esque illustrated zine, “Sad Sex“, which Lau discovered through one of her young interns. With classical music playing in the background, Lau talked to us at her NYC studio. “I think I was interested in working with her largely because of this idea of her working with the female body and breaking boundaries with that, and then just the fearless, gnarlyness of it—it’s just really powerful and fantastic,” she explains.

Lau commissioned Benjamin to create a series of drawings inspired by the “Sad Sex” seductress, but that would more appropriately showcase her Spring/Summer 2012 collection. “We had this idea of this naughty girl running rampant through the city doing things like smoking, hanging out with tigers, just this idea of this magical, sexy, sort of wicked girl that has fur coats and an amazing manicure but is like totally cool and punk rock, and she does dark things but she does them in fabulous ways,” says Lau.

The finely detailed illustrations perfectly capture the essence of Lau’s pieces, which turn robust materials like powder-coated brass into finely crafted designs. There’s a 1920s kinkiness to Lau’s accessories that is obvious from first sight, but it becomes even more pronounced on the body. The armor-like weight makes you feel regal and powerful, but the delicate way the pieces lay on your skin and move with your body also provides a feeling of sensual refinement. Like the flexible “Hourglass” necklace or “Calder” bracelet, which are technically flat metal pieces that fully form around the body thanks to her clever use of vintage snake chains.

For Lau, designing to the kinetic and sculptural elements jewelry can possess is as important as the visual component. For her S/S 2012 collection, Lau was inspired by the geometric solid. She channels this concept into works that trace the body, giving masculine shapes the ultimate in female sex appeal. “In a way you’re kind of engineering how a person’s going to hold themselves”, she explains. Lau’s vision encourages bold moves but with poetic rhythm.

Lau designs to enhance every part of the body—from rings that connect to the wrist to leather pieces that draw beautiful attention to the waist. Her sculptural jewelry sells online and in stores around the world. See her website for a full list of stockists.

Roughshod elegance marks a designer’s handmade jewelry

In Albert Zuger‘s jewelry you can see Aphrodite taking Hephaestus’ hand; it is a heavenly marriage of beauty and the forge. The Toronto-based designer hammers out earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets in bronze that carry an unpretentious elegance, marks of the hammer, and the spirit of the American craftsmanship.

Zuger’s involvement with jewelry began with an actual wedding—his own. As a metalworker since high school and a sculptor by trade, when he proposed to his wife, Sasha Suda, he didn’t feel it was right for them to wear rings he hadn’t made himself. What he produced, and what now rests on both of their fingers, features hundreds of layers of several steel alloys, with a lining of gold peeking out around the edge. Those who saw the ring went mad for it, and Zuger—who was leaving his metal fabrication outfit in New York for Suda’s hometown of Toronto—saw an opportunity to start a new career that combined his love of sculpture, jewelry and traditional metalwork.

“I’ve been a metalworker since age 15,” says Zuger, who moved to Kansas City as a teenager and volunteered with historic blacksmith shop there. Meanwhile, he took every jewelry design class his high school offered and learned to weld in a metal fabrication studio before driving his 1950 Ford pickup to the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he studied sculpture. After college, he opened his own metal fabrication business in an 1850s warehouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, fabricating elements of artists’ large-scale sculptures, ornate arch metalwork, and unique structures like a pair of giant bronze doors for an Upper East Side mansion.

Zuger works all of this experience into his jewelry design, citing Samuel Maloof, and the revival of the American Arts and Crafts movement in the 1950s as his inspiration. “I see myself more than anything else as a sculptor,” he says. “I wouldn’t call myself a jeweler.” Whether sculptural pieces or jewelry, the resulting golden bangles, rings and collar necklaces befit strong women from Gramercy to “Game of Thrones” (there are also shoehorns, keychains, and cufflinks for all). Their details and refinement speak to a marked sophistication, but their hand-hammered shape and construction speak to a deep connection to the process in which they were crafted.

“I’m inspired by Calder, Noguchi, Hans Hofman. It’s a cultural exploration of form and surface in a wearable sort of way,” says Zuger.

For Zuger, the key is in the craftsmanship. “Every surface has been changed from what it started out as. It’s a transformative process that creates these objects that are both and very sculptural,” he says. “The most important thing to me is to have my hands in the stuff, to be actually making it. Having studied sculpture and making things all these years, that’s what I enjoy most. It’s all hand-hammered. I don’t have other people cast stuff. I don’t have other people do my stamping.”

With no disrespect to David Yurman or Chanel (fine, some disrespect), or even the smaller, trendy jewelry-makers—the Pamela Loves, the Philip Crangis—I believe this is what is called a labor of love.

The imaginative mind behind fantastical ink portraits and more

Smoking fish, gun-toting octopuses, cupcake-eating lizards—these are just a few of the anthropomorphic animals portrayed in the intricate ink drawings by the eccentric British artist Rory Dobner. His ingenuous penchant for animals and maximalist approach to art come together in a series of wildly imaginative characters easily adored by children and adults alike. The industrious artist, now represented by Opera Gallery, also lends his talents to sculpture, painting, tattoos, home furnishings and graphic design.

Liberty London began stocking a small amount of Dobner’s work 18 months ago, after seeing one of his hand-drawn portraits in the background of a photo of his wife Claire, who was featured in a news article. At the time, Claire tells us, Rory had been a stay-at-home dad who worked incessantly on his art, as her job with British Telecom moved the family to places like Amsterdam, Hong Kong, LA, India, Sydney and Taiwan. Since Liberty phoned the couple, his collection has become so widely appreciated by the creative community—and several celebrities—the 34-year-old artist can barely keep up with the requests for his work. In addition to Liberty, Dobner’s quirky animals and typographic initials can be found on ceramics and textiles at Bluebird in London, Via Bus Stop in Tokyo, Agent Provocateur shops and soon at Maison 24 in NYC.

We recently caught up with Dobner’s wife of 16 years—the artist himself seems to be almost constantly working—to learn a little bit more about her husband’s motivation and plans for the future, which currently include working with renowned neon artist Chris Bracey and preparing for a personal appearance at Liberty on 10 February 2012. To show his support for the company that catalyzed his career, Dobner will be in-store all day drawing personalized portraits for fans of his work, or those looking for a customized Valentine’s Day gift.

What brought about the idea of working with initials?

When they started, Liberty took about 10 of his ink portraits and hung them in all these Victorian frames. They starting selling well, too well actually, and since each one is done by hand he had to keep replacing them. They finally gave him a six-week break, and suggested he do a product so he wouldn’t have to keep drawing. So he came up with doing the alphabet because it’s very iconic, and he made drawings and printed them on the tiles, and people could still frame them or they could play with them and spell out words. He will frame them all together too if you want a word. For example, Robbie Williams bought “Fuck me, blow me”.

He started doing commissions for bespoke coat of arms that include very specific stuff like childrens’ names, marriage dates, etc. Kate Moss created one with Ray Bans and The Rolling Stones references for her husband. Making it personal is very important for Rory, he’s always drawn, it doesn’t sit well to sell his art so if he can personalize it that makes him feel better.

What attracts Rory to Victorian times?

We’ve always sought out antique things, we’ve traveled extensively so our house is filled with loads of stuff we’ve picked up along the way or salvaged and given a new life in a current time. Rory also likes the invention of Victorian times—the materials are so amazing and there’s so much heritage and character.

How much time does one drawing take to complete?

Every single thing is hand-drawn, the only thing we’ve done print-wise is the products. Something like Ol’ Smokey takes about a day, but a new idea (like a bespoke idea) takes more like 2 days to think, design and draw. Rory just goes straight onto the paper without penciling it in first. Like his paintings on brushed steel, the fluid way he does them means he can only come off the painting at certain points and he can’t make a mistake or the paint will fuck up—he’s very intuitive, it’s very interesting to watch.

What’s his preferred material to work with?

We have a piece of land out in the countryside, and there’s a sexy garden down the driveway. I would say Rory’s happiest when he’s there making his massive wire sculptures. They are really smooth on the inside—models have worn them in shows for Dior and McQueen—but they are really quite sharp on the outside so we have to put them in open spaces to keep from accidentally injuring the children. They take about six months to make and people appreciate them for their artistic merit. At Babington House (the Soho House in Somerset), he created a massive horse that is standing up on its hind legs and the front legs are above you.

What is something people might not know about Rory?

He’s one of three boys, and he grew up on a tiny island off the UK which is more like a waiting area for old people to die. His parents sent him to an all-boys military boarding school at a young age, where he learned to march and shoot guns—it’s kind of a scary school system to be in, you’re expected to go to the military. He was always drawing, and rather than bash it, they encouraged him and allowed.

We have two children, Huxley and Louie, and he’s very good at playing and thinking like children. He’s really in it though, he’s making his characters come alive and gives them little personalities. He has a bit of taxidermy, and sometimes dresses the animals up in vintage Vivienne Westwood accessories. But he’s so humble, so gentle, and very knowledgeable about history. He mounts every picture himself, he does everything from start to finish. He’s very much an artist, just genuinely interested in what people are telling him, and I sometimes have to wrestle his work off him.

Kinetic art and horological design at MB&F’s recently opened boutique in the heart of Geneva

The collective group of timepiece innovators and artisans at MB&F have created a new way to showcase their yearly masterpieces alongside some of the world’s most equally elaborate pieces of kinetic art in Geneva’s recently opened M.A.D. Gallery (M.A.D. stands for Mechanical Art Devices). Although each piece is for sale, they have styled the space as more of a gallery than a boutique, displaying items on pedestals and against stark walls.

The gallery, which has opened just in time for the upcoming Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, will stock MB&F’s complete line of Horological Machines, along with a carefully curated collection of some of the world’s more unconventional examples of engineering, each sharing a common thread of unconventional design. These represent some of the mechanical art devices sourced from around the world that give the gallery its name.

Resembling some kind of science fiction creature, Frank Buchwald’s Machine Lights are inspired by art, architecture and natural form. The designer draws on his artistic background as an illustrator and painter in the development of his lighting designs, each of which was chosen for its high-end finishing and unparalleled creativity—two important factors that draw a parallel with MB&F’s design ethos.

The UK-based design firm Laikingland created Fingers, an “eternally tapping” replication of the artist’s own hand in cold-cast aluminum. Limited to just 25 pieces, the curious, battery-powered device is made entirely of a motor, steel and aluminum.

Sculptures by Xia Hang buck the generally accepted “do not touch” rule by encouraging interaction with the works’ audience. The stainless steel sculptures can be disassembled and reassembled for an endless amount of extension possibilities.

MB&F’s latest Horological piece, the new Legacy Machine No. 1 is also on display at M.A.D. This extravagant timepiece features a three-dimensional movement consisting of 279 components (including 23 jewels). For an in-depth look at what the M.A.D. Gallery aims to achieve, watch their comprehensive video.

M.A.D. Gallery

Rue Verdaine 11

Geneva, Switzerland