CREATExCHANGE

Sci-Fi is the team made of Tomohiro Seguchi who works with metal and Kana Umeda whose specialty is glass. They combine the ideas of science and fiction, or process and imagination, to create pieces of jewellery that are almost pieces of art. Their (slow) website is a treasure chest of glass rings, earrings and necklaces that are chunky, yet graceful—full of character. Of particular note is the Zero collection of seductively fluid adornments.

+ members3.jcom.home.ne.jp

More pieces in the Workshopped exhibition as part of Sydney Design 08 included this eye-catcher, the UPut Storage System by Angela Kane. Denis Abalos’ Razor Light provided a cool blue glow, while David Knott and Chris Hardy showed their lighting as well. Peter Stewart’s HP1 Stool combines net seating with a gentle rock, but Amy Tang’s Organic Culture Tables had their feet on the ground. Amy Cunningham’s coat rack and screen showed a good use of materials, and Kenan Wang’s Twist Bench was “somewhat” inviting. More photos by Blue Murder Studio after the jump.

+ workshopped.com.au

Donald Corey hooked us up with more coverage from the Workshopped exhibition during Sydney Design 08 with photos by Blue Murder Studios. Featured designs included jewellery and accessories as well as furniture and lighting, so a wide variety of fresh work on the Australian scene was presented with aplomb. Shown above is corner detail from Corey’s Jasmine Table, a mix of wooden, steel and personality. After the jump see birds on a wire that do double duty as a coat by David Potts, along with Corey’s helping hands. Luiza Milewicz showed some coloured modular lights, and Stuart Williams’ Pods were delicate-looking groupings of light “bulbs”. Also on show were Nick Randall’s Slip Credenza and David Knott’s Diamond Cut Basin.

+ workshopped.com.au

Australian designer John Van Den Nieuwenhuizen, now based in San Francisco, sums up the intuitive nature of his Hidden Radio: “The product attempts to be silent both visually and functionally by having the cap in the downward position. By lifting up the cap the user proportionally increases the volume. The further the cap goes up the louder the sound gets. To tune the radio you simply rotate the cap and receive feedback of tuning quality via the LED on the front.”

+ hiddenradio.johnvdn.com

This week at Art MoCo we took a look at work at the Red Cake Gallery, an on-line gallery that features affordable original artwork. On Monday we started with exquisite oil paintings of birds from the Middle East (and their headgear) by Anna Kipervaser.

Allen Stickel’s portraits infuse melancholy with colour.

Domes and Chirals are the subjects of Brenna Burns’ delicate paintings.

Sherry Koyama lets us have our cake, but not eat it.

Vintage tulle jellyfish by Elide Endreson have none of the sting of their salt water comrades.

More at Art MoCo.

Belgium’s Maximal Design’s Soul Ash Solace is a simple, yet elegant, cremation coffin of corrugated cardboard, papier-mâché and wood that is budget-friendly and easily burnable. A sandglass-shaped urn of stainless steel sits on top and when it goes through the cremation process, it acquires a patina that personalizes it. The journey towards this memory capsule marks the emotional and ecological functions of a cremation.

+ maximaldesign.com

The Milk Gone Bad table lamp by AnAtomic Factory with illustrations by Bombo is a follow-up to the earlier Long Life Light. When the Milk Gone Bad light is off, it resembles a simple white milk carton. When switched on, the light reveals the mold that grows unseen inside. The imaginary cartoon-like mold happens to be a lot more pleasant than the real life version and is available in 8 colourways, each with a different personality. The lamp comes flat and is constructed much the way a milk carton would be.

+ anatomicfactory.com

Workshopped, a key player on the Australian design scene, aims to identify Australian design and call attention to it on a national and international level. The Workshopped exhibition is one of the main events during Sydney Design 08 and features the work of about thirty designers, up from an inaugural group of five in 2001. Some of the products snapped during the opening of the Workshopped exhibition were the XHD Chair shown above by Tim Foster, the Book Block by Matthew Conway, the Ferdinand rocker by Angus McDonald and John Madden, the ilt lamp designed by Berto Pandolfo, the MOS table by David Moses, Revolution vases by Adam Goodrum and the T45 designed by Damian Barton.

+ workshopped.com.au

Time Capsule 2008- 2158 is an exhibition taking place at Sydney’s Beautiful On The Inside as part of Sydney Design 08. Seven Australian designers were invited to create work suitable for a time capsule that will be opened up 150 years from now. The pieces are meant to be a reflection of today’s design, the people of today or simply worthy of immortalization, always ensuring that they embody the philosophy of “pieces with soul.” The designers participating in this exhibition are Arthur Koutoulas (Jerry Lantern), Babak Aryaie (Miz coffee table), Christopher Earl Milbourne (Vessel), Henry Wilson (Bedrock lamp), Keith Melbourne (Bite me and Experimental chandelier), Lana Alsamir-Diamond (Always greener), and Matthew Conway (Cake N Coffee table).

+ beautifulontheinside.com.au

Sydney Design 08 is underway in Australia and Donald Corey from The Other Edge is keeping us in the loop. From themes like “Design Matters” to “Young Blood,” this Powerhouse Museum-based festival of design is a 17-day program of design down under, including Workshopped, an exhibition of new Australian deign that ranges from prototypes to pieces in production. Stay tuned for a glimpse into Sydney events.

+ sydneydesign.com.au

Lively patterns sometimes take the stage and add colour to Christian Vincent’s narrative.

Sven Kroner’s paintings may seem soft in tone, but this artist uses brilliant splashes of colour.

Buff Monster’s use of happy creatures and a liberal dose of pink can so easily throw us off the scent.

The Beecharmer is just one example of Emily Nyland’s collage work.

Xavier Nuez uses filters, gels and long exposure to lighten up the dark corners of the night.

More at Art MoCo.

Jo Meesters transforms materials like pottery, paper and wood in some way so as to provide a surprise ending. Traditional Delft Blue scenes are scraped away to leave a contemporary landscape. Discarded paper is used to create vessels that are moulded around others no longer in use. Eight thousand holes are bored through wood and reinforced with transparent resin to let light create another dimension. A lamp becomes a sideboard, or is it the other way around? The hybrid of lighting/table/room divider becomes an “artificial hedge.” There is quite a range of materials and matter in Meesters’ work, making it tricky to pinpoint which direction this Dutch designer will head for next. The only thing we do know is that innovation will fuel the way.

Because the Netherlands has such a tradition of creating fine pottery, if any of your Ornamental Inheritance work ever met with criticism, how would you respond? Is there a tendency to protect the notion of traditional Delftware?
Not really. I made the vases because the traditional ones usually use old sceneries like windmills and landscapes from the last century. The landscape has changed and I think it needs to be represented in a new way so I chose vases to put the new Dutch landscape. In combination with the method I used (sandblasting) and the imagery combined with the traditional patterns, I think I’ve managed to show people the history of these vases from then to now.

In Italian, the word oppure suggests an alternative and can be simply translated as or. The Italian design studio that goes by the same name suggests cardboard as an alternative to traditional materials used for furniture and accessories. Today’s nomadic lifestyle also serves as inspiration for Oppure’s line of pieces that are ready to be used and reused. The modular bookcase has coloured bookends; the stools are folding; and the frames can be grouped in various arrangements. The pieces are made from a mix of 95% cardboard and 5% cellulose. We do wonder how long the hangers will last.

+ oppuredesign.com

+ The Procontra shelving system by Sascha Akkermann is a modular set of walnut or oak shelves that provides visual interest as well as storage.

+ The solid cast sterling silver Form Two ring from La Pisette is a representation of a sliced stone, a shape that reduces the idea of a precious gem to its simplest state.

+ Efrain Velez’s Tertulia folding chair does not make use of the typical x- or a-frame configuration, but relies on a curved geometry that can be implemented by using a variety of materials such as wood or stainless steel.

The Ivy collection by Paola Navone for Emu is a line of metal outdoor furniture that is meant to be overgrown with tendrils of green. Inspired by topiary art, the concept is to be as one with nature, and the collection includes a side table that houses a solar panel. Once it is dark enough the table also functions as ambient lighting. Of course the ivy growth is not a requirement, as the pieces look equally stylish without embellishment.

+ emu.it

+ The bevelled glass Diamond Mirror by Piet Houtenbos is backed with a thin layer of silver and contains no mineral impurities for a truly clear reflection.

+ Timothy Schreiber’s satin aluminium X-Lounger is based on a single ray traced along a periodic double curved surface.

+ Sebastian Schoenheit ’s hand-knit carpet is a rug-sized piece of knitting done on huge needles.

+ The Glow Amp One, Glow Audio’s stereo tube amplifier, is computer-ready and iPod compatible. The hand built tube amplifier weighs in at 15 pounds, sports more steel than plastic and has speaker cones made from bamboo fiber.

+ Benjamin Hubert details the glass-making process used on an entry to the Bombay Sapphire competition.

Korea’s DND Casa’s line of television-equipped mirrors uses German mirror image technology from Ad Notam to conceal the workings. These “no-tv” mirrors are also foils for a PC computer and LCD display. But DND has applied the technology to other furniture, so that everything can become multifunctional. Watch TV on your bookshelf or perhaps even your lamp.

+ dndcasa.com

One of the highlights of Artemide’s 2008 work is an installation called “La Stanza del maestro,” an almost empty room save for a a bed and a bedside table. There appears to be a window, but it is really beautiful ambient lighting that mimics natural light outside as the day progresses and transitions into night. There is a reading light above the bed, and the water one reaches for in the middle of the night is also lit, so as to avoid a wakeful spill.

+ artemide.com

We started the week on the topic of girlhood and its many moods, through photography by Deborah Hamon.

But we couldn’t get enough, so we took a look at the power play in her paintings as well.

Then we stumbled upon an excellent group show at Timothy Taylor, with this piece by Marcel Dzama.

Briana Mazzio gave us a taste of her hot glue busts …

And we opened the Olympics with swimming, thanks to Carole Feuerman.

More at Art MoCo.

Portuguese designer Rita Botelho has come up with a practical yet playful way to shed new light on old tricks. Insert some coins into the slot and out comes a toy in a large plastic sphere. Finish playing with the toy. Grow up and reuse the sphere. Insert decorative tree lights that are only used once a year and create colourful lighting balls. Mix and match colours to create a variety of effects.

+ ritabotelho.com

Portuguese designer Rita Botelho has come up with a practical yet playful way to shed new light on old tricks. Insert some coins into the slot and out comes a toy in a large plastic sphere. Finish playing with the toy. Grow up and reuse the sphere. Insert decorative tree lights that are only used once a year and create colourful lighting balls. Mix and match colours to create a variety of effects.

+ ritabotelho.com

The Shaka yacht, designed by Lazzarini Pickering Architects and Farr Yacht Design for Wally, was yet another winner of the ADI Compasso d’Oro 2008 Award. It is a flush deck, canting keel, three-cabin cruise and regatta yacht. On deck, a vast teak plane, is a social cockpit that seats up to ten people at two sleek folding tables (removable for racing). Down below is a salon for lounging and dining, nicely lit by a long skylight. The stateroom is full of built-ins, and the hanging leather wardrobe is a great idea. Guest cabins have two twin beds, the galley comes with two fridges and two freezers. All the high quality materials (stainless steel, carbon, sunbrella upholstery, etc.) are well-suited for practicality and aesthetics, right down to the lycra cushions that can be used indoors or out.

+ wally.com

The Shaka yacht, designed by Lazzarini Pickering Architects and Farr Yacht Design for Wally, was yet another winner of the ADI Compasso d???Oro 2008 Award. It is a flush deck, canting keel, three-cabin cruise and regatta yacht. On deck, a vast teak plane, is a social cockpit that seats up to ten people at two sleek folding tables (removable for racing). Down below is a salon for lounging and dining, nicely lit by a long skylight. The stateroom is full of built-ins, and the hanging leather wardrobe is a great idea. Guest cabins have two twin beds, the galley comes with two fridges and two freezers. All the high quality materials (stainless steel, carbon, sunbrella upholstery, etc.) are well-suited for practicality and aesthetics, right down to the lycra cushions that can be used indoors or out.

+ wally.com

+ These porcelain vases from Libelle go by the name of MOCO, or mushroom. The flat section acts as a backdrop for flowers and inspires different arrangements.

+ Nathan Martell’s porcelain vase is a 3D representation of a graph showing global air temperature change over the past 150 years.

+ These porcelain vases from Libelle go by the name of MOCO, or mushroom. The flat section acts as a backdrop for flowers and inspires different arrangements.

+ Nathan Martell???s porcelain vase is a 3D representation of a graph showing global air temperature change over the past 150 years.

The Mix table lamp by Luceplan is another winner of the ADI Compasso d’Oro 2008 Award. Designed by Alberto Meda and Paolo Rizzatto, Mix uses LED Chip on Board technology to conserve energy, with consumption of 5W that lasts about 50,000 hours on average. When the light is off, the profile is illuminated with a blue light so that it can be found in the dark. The Mix is also available as a wall light.

+ luceplan.it

The Mix table lamp by Luceplan is another winner of the ADI Compasso d???Oro 2008 Award. Designed by Alberto Meda and Paolo Rizzatto, Mix uses LED Chip on Board technology to conserve energy, with consumption of 5W that lasts about 50,000 hours on average. When the light is off, the profile is illuminated with a blue light so that it can be found in the dark. The Mix is also available as a wall light.

+ luceplan.it

The R606 Uno chair by Bartoli Design and Fauciglietti Engineering for Segis is a recent winner of the Adi Compasso d’Oro 2008 Award. The chair looks simple enough, but makes use of the patented R606 polymer that adds an element of flexibility to a rigid frame. The seat and backrest allow the user to sink into the chair and feel “held” by the material while enjoying the sturdy support of the exterior frame.

+ segis.it
+ bartolidesign.it

The R606 Uno chair by Bartoli Design and Fauciglietti Engineering for Segis is a recent winner of the Adi Compasso d???Oro 2008 Award. The chair looks simple enough, but makes use of the patented R606 polymer that adds an element of flexibility to a rigid frame. The seat and backrest allow the user to sink into the chair and feel ???held??? by the material while enjoying the sturdy support of the exterior frame.

+ segis.it
+ bartolidesign.it

+ ONE is a new duo of rings by Studio Bloomm available in gold or silver that fit together, tongue and groove, when united by the wearers.

+ Dima Loginoff’s C-Stool is a stool/armchair hybrid. It borrows from the style of a traditional, albeit super sleek, armchair, but its height dictates that it remain a stool.

+ Liquidesign’s Curva coffee table has simple straight lines that metamorphose into curvy legs, some with a well-turned calf indeed.

+ Gaia & Gino’s Creemy coffee and tea set by Karim Rashid, all angles and spouts, just won the IDEA Silver award.