Hasta La Ideas

London Design Festival 2013: experimental surfaces covered in patterns created by magnetism are on show at Dutch designer Tord Boontje‘s studio this week (+ slideshow).

Boontje mixed metallised pigments into liquid resin and painted a thin layer of the coating onto aluminium composite panels.

He then used magnetic fields generated by permanent magnets or by passing an electric current through a wire to align the pigments. The resulting patterns were captured as the resin set.

Sharp lines of pigment trace the position of the magnetic fields and gradually blur in the gaps between, creating swirling shapes and holographic visual effects.

“When you bring together two magnets they either attract or push each other away – if you have more magnets then something more complex starts to happen,” Boontje told Dezeen.

The collection is part of an ongoing process of investigation that Boontje told Dezeen first began when he was a student at Design Academy Eindhoven. “I was interested in exploring something that’s invisible, that’s part of nature,” he said.

Some of the surfaces have been combined with steel frames to create tables and chairs. Boontje chose steel “because it attracts magnets,” and because he admires the steel sculptures created by minimalist artist Richard Serra.

New pieces will be added to the collection for a future gallery show, and Boontje believes the process could be industrialised and applied to products as diverse as clothing and architectural cladding. “This is just the beginning,” he said. “The surfaces can be used in many different ways.”

Magnetic Fields is being exhibited at Boontje’s studio and shop in Shoreditch as part of the London Design Festival, and will remain on show until 8 December 2012.

Other projects by Studio Tord Boontje include a series of lamps that are counterbalanced by filling their bases with objects like stones, books or apples, and a doorbell made from bent metal rods that support a random assortment of noisy everyday objects.

Boontje is due to leave his post as head of the Royal College of Art Design Products course at the end of this month after four years in charge, in order to focus on his own design studio.

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Here’s a brief description of the project from Studio Tord Boontje:

Magnetic Fields: Studio Tord Boontje

In his latest collection of work, Tord Boontje has created patterns through magnetism. This is an ongoing investigation into magnetism, pigments and holographic effects. These studio experiments have taken place over the last three years.

This collection of resin coated surfaces has an eerie depth in their embedded 3-dimensional patterns of electro magnetic movement, which allude to a dark sci-fi atmosphere.

The principle can potentially be applied to create bags, shoes, to interior and exterior architectural cladding, to spaceships…

“I use complex magnetic fields to orientate pigment particles in a very thin layer of resin. The magnetic fields are sometimes created through magnets and sometimes they use the magnetic field created by running an electric current through a wire” – Tord Boontje.

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Studio Tord Boontje appeared first on Dezeen.

Lamps often have heavy bases to steady them, making them awkward and costly to ship, so London-based Studio Tord Boontje swapped them for empty baskets which can be filled with objects like stones, books or apples.

Each lamp in the Japanese-inspired Lightweight collection has a paper shade around its LED bulb and a stem made from two canes of bamboo.

The collection includes a desk light, three floor lights and a hanging light which can be adjusted by adding weight to its basket.

The materials are largely sourced from within the UK, including bamboo grown in Scotland, wire baskets and joints made in Yorkshire, cables and copper plating made in London and fabric shades made in Wales. The lights are assembled at Boontje’s shop and studio in London where they were launched during the London Design Festival last month.

Earlier this year we filmed Boontje giving a tour of the graduate show at the Royal College of Art, where he leads the Design Products course.

See all our stories about Tord Boontje »
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Here’s some more information from Studio Tord Boontje:

Rocks, bamboo and paper banners. Lightweight is like a traditional Japanese garden; a small contemplation on light, objects, energy and nature.

The Lightweight collection started with the idea to develop an alternative to shipping heavy lamp bases around the world. With the Lightweight collection you can use heavy objects that you have at home to balance these lamps. The baskets are designed to hold stones (like gabions), books, perfume bottles, plants, postcards or other collections.

This studio-produced collection includes a desk light, a hanging light and three different floor lights. The Desk Light is fully adjustable in height and rotation angle. It has a circular paper shade around the LED bulb and the basket is a bit larger than A4 size, so it functions as an in-tray as well. You can adjust the Hanging Light by adding weight to the small basket. The soft-box lampshade is inspired by photography studio lights.

The Floor Standing Light has a Tyvek paper banner onto which a blossom drawing is screen-printed in our studio. The lightʼs stem is made of a bamboo cane that was grown in Scotland. The cable is made in London as well as the copper plating. The fabric soft-boxes are made in Wales. The wire baskets and joints are made in Yorkshire. The cable clips and assembly is done in our studio / shop. All lights use LED or low energy light bulbs.

The Lightweight collection includes: Desk Light; Floor Standing Banner Light; Floor Standing Soft-box Light; Floor Standing Reading Light; Hanging Light. The Lightweight collection was launched as part of the Squirrelʼs Electro Garden Party and is available exclusively from our shop in Shoreditch, London with prices starting from £220.

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Studio Tord Boontje appeared first on Dezeen.

Milan 2012: more about Hackney designers in Milan last week – this tangle of bent rods and random objects is actually a doorbell by Dutch Shoreditch-based designer Tord Boontje that was shown at the Ventura Lambrate design district.

When visitors push the doorbell button the whole structure starts to tip first one way then the other, causing a hammer on wheels to career round the track and bash into any objects the owner chooses along the way.

The Cacophany Bell was developed with kinetic objects company Laikingland – see more of their contraptions here, including an applause machine and a mechanical hand that continuously drums its fingers.

The Ventura Lambrate design district was open from 17 to 22 April.

See all our stories about Ventura Lambrate 2012 here.

Back in London, Boontje is currently professor and head of design products at the Royal College of Art in London, and recently opened his new shop and studio on Charlotte Road in Shoreditch.

Here’s some more information from Laikingland:

Laikingland presents “With Movement” at Ventura Lambrate 2012

Laikingland is a creative label whose fundamental theme is movement. Each year, kinetic objects are developed collaboratively with invited artists and designers. The exhibition “With Movement” acknowledges both the objects and the collaborative process developed with each artist and designer.

Cacophany Bell by Tord Boontje with Laikingland

“Through the gap in the shutters, I can see him coming up the path, he is past the gate already. Quick, can I hide? Why, would I? Should I not be glad that he is coming? What if…

Too late, I can see his hand reaching out for the buzzer, I know I have only a few seconds left. The finger presses the button, the wireless connection is made, I look up at the ceiling.

The hammer on wheels is released, with hesitation it starts to move along the fine metal wire track. It picks up speed and rushes down the first steep slope of the track, it crashes into a steel watering can, BANG. Without slowing down the hammer keeps moving towards a glass bottle, the sound of impact is a glassy PING. Onwards through the steep corners towards the dried leaves, the doll, the tin can, CRUSH THUMP TING and finally heading towards the bell, where it ends with a loud CLANG.

Although, it does not quite end there The weight of the hammer now tips the balance of the precariously hung track and the whole thing starts to tilt over. Slowly the hammer on wheels starts to move again, exploring new forces of gravity. Giving in to a new sliding motion as the track changes shape again and the hammer reaches it’s starting point again where it comes to rest.

The noise, the cacophony, is still echoing through the house, while I wait for him to press the buzzer again.” – Tord Boontje,

Laikingland is a creative label, based in both the UK and The Netherlands, who design and manufacture beautifully crafted kinetic objects that engage, and evoke a sense of play and nostalgia.

The company was founded in 2008 and is built upon a life long friendship between artist, Martin Smith and engineer, Nick Regan. Since it’s inception Laikingland has specialised in producing highly crafted limited editions, working closely with invited artists and designers to realise their kinetic ideas.

Alongside the products developed and manufactured by Laikingland, projects to create one-off, special edition and exclusive kinetic objects, spaces and commissions are also undertaken.

All our work is produced in small batches or limited editions and is hand assembled in the North of England by our team of highly skilled craftsmen, artisans and jewellers.

Martin Smith is the Art Director of Laikingland. He lives and works in West Yorkshire, UK. He has 17 years experience as a practicing Artist, with work ranging from small kinetic devices to large-scale gallery commissions and architectural interventions.

In his role as Art Director, Martin has overall responsibility for the design selection process, he curates the product range and collaborates at the concept stage with each artist and designer. Through his vast experience of surprising yet elegant mechanisms, he influences both the movement of the kinetic objects and the direction of the Laikingland brand.

Nick Regan is the Engineering Director of Laikingland. He was born and raised in West Yorkshire, UK, but now lives and works in Utrecht, the Netherlands. He has 16 years product development and engineering management experience in the global automotive industry. He has worked with many of the world’s leading automotive companies in the UK, Europe, USA and Asia.

Key:

Blue = designers
Red = architects
Yellow = brands

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Designed in Hackney is a Dezeen initiative to showcase world-class architecture and design created in the borough, which is one of the five host boroughs for the London 2012 Olympic Games as well as being home to Dezeen’s offices. We’ll publish buildings, interiors and objects that have been designed in Hackney each day until the games this summer.

More information and details of how to get involved can be found at www.designedinhackney.com.

London Design Festival 2010: here are some photos and a video featuring designers including Richard Woods, Tord Boontje, Committee and artist Gavin Turk, who each created an installation in one day at the Established & Sons gallery during the London Design Festival last month.

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This movie by Gestalten TV documents the processes that unfolded each day and features interviews with each of the designers.

Photographs are by Nick Ballon.

Above: Richard Woods

The information that follows is from Established & Sons:

Established & Sons LIMITED

Established & Sons LIMITED presents ‘Design Against The Clock’ a series of live design performances at the Mayfair gallery.

Above: Tord Boontje and RCA students

A selection of key design figures, reflective of London’s creativity including artist Richard Woods, design duo Committee and sculpture and artist Gavin Turk will work onsite to produce works reflective of their individual design practices.

Above: Gavin Turk

Each finished piece will be exhibited daily at Established & Sons LIMITED. Established & Sons LIMITED will also act as a Design Café for the duration of the Festival, where food and drink will be served and guests can enjoy browsing a Gestalten bookstore.

Above: Gavin Turk

A variety of pieces from Established & Sons Collections, including Estd by Established & Sons, will be showcased and limited edition posters will be on sale.

Above and top: Committee

Above: Committee

See also:

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