THE SPRING ISSUE
Art & Design
Fashion Comes to the de Young
Photography by Gregory Bertolini Sheathed in dappled and perforated copper material, the de Young Museum poses in Golden Gate Park like a finely tailored fashion icon. The re-opening of the avant-garde building, which was designed by the Swiss team of Herzog & de Meuron, and local architects Fong & Chan, marked a new unification of […]
Matthias Pliessnig
Form, Function and Physics The word “Amada” in Spanish is a term of endearment between lovers suggesting intimacy and physical closeness. The two are intertwined, familiar with the curves and bends of each other, yet discovering them over and over. Amada is also the name of furniture designer Matthias Pliessnig’s signature piece, a 27-foot-long bench […]
David Shrigley’s Absurd World
David Shrigley answers his phone on a cold Tuesday evening in Glasgow and immediately says in a very warm Scottish brogue, “I’m afraid that I have to call you back in a minute because I’m working on something and my hands are just very gooey and covered in wax and I don’t think I can […]
Made in America
New Jersey gets its first contemporary art museum Ryan McGinley Night Sky (Green), 2009-2010 Home to Bruce Springsteen, boardwalks and an infamous reality show, the Jersey shore recently welcomed a new kind of cultural institution. NJ MoCA, the state’s first contemporary art museum, launched its programming on October 23rd at Asbury Park’s historic Paramount Theatre and […]
Flotsam’s Wonder World
photography Michael Cuffe A twisted carnival clown throws hurdles to those seeking their dreams while tempting others with the seven deadly sins in the artist Mike Shine’s “Flotsam’s Wonder World.” The interactive carnival pieces have been transformed into an “opera” consisting of 200 works of art at the new 941 Geary Gallery in San Francisco. […]
Nicolas Hayek
A Man Who Made Time Come to Life Before the Clock Stopped It’s a cliché, but Nicolas Hayek was truly a genius. Looking at Swatch, his brand of flashy, affordable statement watches, the extent to which the man was ahead of his time is mind-boggling. Everyone, from the powerhouses of mainstream fashion to the most […]
Guido Garotti
“What is an object without the intricate narrative that the human mind develops around it?” This is the question that creative problem solver and furniture designer Guido Garotti keeps in mind when approaching design. Believing in the fact that design is about making humans feel “at home on Earth,” he focuses on the issues surrounding […]
New East
Designer Rick Lee discusses his recent collection and the future of manufacturing in China From bottom left: Wen Chaise Lounge, Storm Trash Bin, Mojave Chair Chinese manufacturers have long been held in contempt by the international design community for producing second-rate knock-offs of existing designs and selling them at a much lower cost. This perception […]
Girl At The Bottom Of The Sea
The green movement has picked up steam in recent years, buoyed by the tragedy of natural catastrophes like hurricanes and earthquakes—as if to say, see? our industrialized human actions are truly upsetting the balance of planet earth. Ironically, it is industry itself—in the form of consumer culture—that has helped anchor the green movement into our […]
Conversations With 3 Designers
One very rewarding aspect of being a designer is connecting with other designers and being a part of a creative community. I love starting dialogues with the peers I admire most and learning about their inspirations, processes, projects and experiences. Nolen Niu, Patrick Norguet and Marc Thorpe are three unique and talented designers who I recently had […]
Digital Graffiti
Who ever thought graffiti had to be permanent? Only three years old, Digital Graffiti is the world’s first video art projection festival and competition that coats and transforms the stark white walls of this tiny Alys Beach community, situated along the 26 mile stretch of the sandy beaches of South Walton, Florida. The founder, a […]
Free Range
Now in its tenth edition, Free Range is the biggest showcase of fresh talent, the number one launchpad for graduates of arts and design. Based in the Truman Brewerya cavernous warehouse space in the heart of East London’s buzzing design scene, right off Brick Laneevery year the show becomes a focal point for the art […]
Margiela
’20’ The Exhibition A journey through installations, photography, video and film celebrates the 20 years of the most mysterious of the fashion houses. “Maison Martin Margiela ’20’ The Exhibition,” on show at London’s Somerset House (the new home of the city’s Fashion Week), gathers the 20–year history of the brand that changed the look of […]
Everyday Aesthetic: Andrew Howley
There’s not much that Andrew Howley doesn’t notice. With the curiosity of a child and the technical know-how of a top industrial designer, he’s likely to spend a good part of a night out analyzing the form and function of every product he comes into contact with. It’s a trait that the 31-year-old Melbourne-based designer […]
John Pomp
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, sculptor and master glassblower John Pomp has created a limited edition of 100 signed decanters in collaboration with Newton Vineyards, entitled “The Touch.” Lauded for his organically shaped and environmentally-friendly glass objects, this eco-chic decanter is mouth-blown and made from 30% recycled glass. Crafted in Pomp’s Philadelphia […]
Wholistic Design: Dhiren Bhagwandas
Australian industrial designer Dhiren Bhagwandas is a man on a mission, trying to change the way people approach product development. With a strong social conscience, his design is driven by a desire to advise his clients on how creative thinking can improve their businesses. Going beyond just product design, his process encourages better manufacturing procedures, […]
It’s a Wanderful World
Marcel Wanders opens his mind for Target Marcel Wanders worked as an industrial product designer for 10 years before his big break came along in the late ’90s. Break? More like an avalanche. After designing the “Knotted Chair” from resin-coated cotton (1997, Crochet Series, produced by Capellini), and other experimental furniture for Droog Design (translate […]
Reinventing the Skyline
A Conversation with Architect Charles Renfro Charles Renfro was named the third addition to duo Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio’s eponymous firm in 2004. Renfro joined a partnership already famous for constructing a pavilion out of fog in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland and receiving a MacArthur Fellowship for their discipline-agnostic installations, art and architecture. Renfro has added […]
Ari Marcopolous
On the hustle behind the lens SOMA: Photographers Steven Shore and William Eggle-ston have said that they consider themselves modern day anthropologists. If you had to give yourself a title, what would you prefer? Artist… photographer… anthropologist… Ari Marcopoulos: I am a Muthafuckin Hustler! And so it goes—Ari “Muthafuckin Hustler” Marcopoulos. It’s a fitting description […]
Tobias Wong
Provocation in Principle Whether it’s disposable lighters wrapped in mink fur, a matchbook homage to the WTC, or a bulletproof rose, Tobias Wong’s work elicits a response. Educated in architecture and sculpture at the University of Toronto and the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City, Wong’s designs challenge the viewer to consider […]
Marilyn Minter
Marilyn Minter’s Pleasure Principle It is difficult to tell if Marilyn Minter’s subjects are meant to make viewers uncomfortable—or turn them on. A self-proclaimed “still life art photographer,” Minter’s pornography-inspired portraits of women seemingly possessed by the voyeuristic lens all appear to be objects of her wildest hallucinations. Yet, upon closer inspection, the images reveal […]
Public and Private
J. Mayer H. Discusses The Relics And References That Inspire His Built Environments In its 13 years, J. Mayer H. Architects can already count among their creations a scallop-edged science museum, office buildings with arthropod windows, a house that seems bent on melting into its surroundings, heat-sensitive sheets and furniture, and even a tattoo. Jürgen Mayer […]
Sarah Morris
Structures of Control: Chasing cultural Connections with Sarah Morris minimum number (in lbs) of paper clips us manufacturers developed last year: 20 million, number of sheets of paper used while researching, editing, writing, and producing this feature: 53, number of paper clips needed to hold said pages together: 1. “I cannot live in this world without […]
Antoine + Manuel
Finding Perfection in Pandemonium After over two prolific decades of provocative, indulgent work, Antoine+Manuel are finally arriving at center stage. One might wonder why such a clearly talented Parisian art and design duo (consisting of Antoine Audiau and Manuel Warosz) could have been overlooked for so long. Maybe their dexterous aesthetic made it difficult for […]
