Building structural logic

A Thonet chair is made out of six components and then about eight to ten screws depending on the model number. The curves are an illustration of using the the circle shape structurally(the circle holds the legs and the arch shape maintains the back)-because its the strongest shape.

new technique

I have just stumbled upon the Japanese embroidery technique of Sashiko in my new best book Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Fabric Crafts. This simple running stitch really appeals to my modernist outlook.

The power of the card board box....

I saved this image at the beginning of the summer meaning to research it and came around to it this morning. In the mean time, Don Lucho's "casa de cardboard" has become an internet hit......but interestingly enough almost no depth of information about the project. So again the power of the image rules. I am interested in Lucho's debt to the work of Do Ho Suh and the early obsessiveness of Tim Hawkinson. Also a note to students-please don't complain about cardboard models that are due next week.......

"design performance"

This morning I am all fired up about the work of Studio Glithero. A London duo; they make work that brings "process' forward it the artifact oriented design world. This piece an interesting conceit-Bamboo legs(hyper strong structural material) dipped in bronze to hold a paper cabinet...........a long discussion about stability ensues-

Building sustainable chic

Spotted at the Brooklyn Museum last month was the
Andy Warhol's Fragile Dress. This object does not have much to do with space but has everything to do with a sustainable way to make things. Although Warhol has an uptown glamour about his work I imagine in The Factory there was alot of "Look we can just make this with what we have around"-a "within Arms Reach" approach to making things-is there a resourceful yet glamorous approach to come?

building inversions 2

So here is another interesting material inversion. These Jasper Morrison tables are a limited edition Carrara marble table system. The material is seemingly luxurious but really in Brooklyn you can get just about anything made "rather" inexpensively in marble-here in Mississippi as well at the largest tomb stone factory in the country..... I am curious about the actually cost to make these-maybe in Paris they are more dear.....

building inversions

I came upon the work of John Dickinson in an old copy of Nest Magazine. This amazing piece is so interesting because galvanized metal is a very cheap and easy to fabricate material- almost crude in technique. This piece makes it look like its the most expensive material on earth....what an idea-what craftsmanship.

Building 'I Wants"

We are in the middle of a BIG move-studio-move half house-crazy move. And through it all I seem to have this deep desire to buy (during a move one needs to BUY ANYTHING) this book-
Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts, because why, because I need to wrap a branch and make fabric flowers.... Anyone have it? What do we think?

The cover up

It is well known that I have a thing for "chair dresses" and now I see someone grappling with the old -fashion table cloth idea. This resolve by Finnish designer Teija Losoi of Lost Design is intriguing-sort of Martha Stewart in Go-Go boots.....The table cloth is meant to show off the form of the table rather than hide it and the tension on the pull cord can vary the sculptural shape. Clever? Washable?????

A building of ideas

In the beginning of C&B I wrote about the the really interesting work of Studio Jo Meesters; decorative objects made out of a new concoction of newspaper...a sort of high tech papier mache. Well the studio is back with more development. Entitled Pulp 2.0, the work has evolved into chairs, lamps, and New England Puritanical interiors.....?

Building more strange things

No Milan for me this year and I hesitate to comment on things I have not seen in person...unless I am trying to make a point BUT the images coming out of Milan are intriguing especially these bizarre takes on objects and taxidermy by French design house Frederique Morrel. Made from "de-cycled" french tapestry the work is other worldly and a great shock...I see where some retail ideas are coming from.

Local building

I really love the process of this ceramic work that has come out of Atelier NL. Principal Nadine Sterk aspires to serving a meal on the earthenware and have the vegetables be from the same local.......Now that's discipline....

building experience

Mad and I had a very nice Shopping experience this weekend. We loved looking at all the ideas at Anthropologie. The web site has always underwhelmed me but actually shopping there was a fun time. Lots of ideas that could not be bought - happily. Felt vines and leaves over a princess bed(Mad really went for that), loved the paper mache animal heads mount on the wall-probably could steal that idea. And the upholstery is awesome, nice Again IDEAS-like this chair covered in Men'swear fabric..... I suppose I am happiest about the parts of being in the store that I get to keep in my head rather than consume.....

building pattern 3-tips of the trade

Part of my interest in pattern this week is the time has come to think about things like that for the Pearl Street project. But guess what no money left. So I will officially forgo my 'want' of true Scandinavian prints and look at the wonderful world of Ikea fabrics. You can not beat the price 8.99 to 5.99 per yard. Cautionary note: these fabrics are made of good quality cotton duck cloth so they are fine for drapery and light use areas-probably not good for sofas and dining chairs. Scandinavian pillow cases here I come.......

building pattern2

There is a class in architecture school called "Fear of Wallpaper-recovery and control". I am graduate and I am happy to say I am seriously looking at the work of Madison and Grow as part of my 12 step program. Who can not love a body of work that identifies wallpaper as a material-see pattern titles like"Sunrise on Duck- cloth" and a company who uses Heidegger as a photo prop....Here is some super smart work.

building with paint

This is a project just finished by Paula Sher of Pentagram Design. The recently completed First Achievement Endeavor School in Clinton Hill Brooklyn uses all graphics, all the time, to make the school a potent learning environment...So cool.

Building sound

In my quest for fabric that might tell stories I found the work and world of artist Alyce Santoro. Her Sonic Fabric is quite the invention: 50% cotton and 50% recycled audiotape-the fabric can be "played" by interaction with a tape head....

building embroidery

I have been thinking about the potential of my embroidery work and its ability to tell all the stories for this General Grant project. I have been casting about looking at the work of MIT researcher Leah Buechley who devised a DIY micro controller for interactive fabric work. This piece was done by Graduate student
Becky Stern; who seems to be one to watch.

Building stories from a dress

I was so inspired by the remodelista post about LA purveyor Blackman Cruz. These Clarke and Reilly chairs are not just beautiful but the act of recovering them with a Mennonite petticoat is a wonderfully romantic effort.

Building earth

I do not get a lot of comments on this blog but when I do boy are they helpful. I just want to pass along the beautiful work of Seyed Alavi and his landscape in wool carpet that "deenie" sent in response to the Angela Adams work.



I am having a hard time linking Alavi's work-so please go to yesterdays post and see comments-Deenie turned me on to him....