THREAD
Fashion/textiles/accessories visual communication product design/furniture ceramics/jewellery/glass
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CONTENTS 07–15 : Follow the Thread INTERLINKING THEMES ACROSS DESIGN
17–25 fashion/textiles/accessories
27–35 visual communication
37–45 product design/furniture
47–54 ceramics/jewellery/glass
www.artsthread.com E-magazine Read extended versions of the articles. Portfolio gallery See more images and information from the designers featured in this issue. My portfolio Create your own Arts Thread portfolio. Design forums Get involved in practical forums that will help you with specialist art and design queries. Work placement Take a look at most recent offers of work experience from Europe. Inspiration Find out about all the current European Art & Design exhibitions, plus a comprehensive list of specialist
museums and galleries in Europe dedicated to the applied arts. As in the magazine the site is divided into the four Arts Thread groups: fashion/textiles/accessories visual communication product design/furniture ceramics/jewellery/glass Use them when you need extra help. Someone in the Arts Thread worldwide network is bound to know the answer, whether it’s a query on a feature in Photoshop or a request for a supplier of a specialist material or yarn.
Welkom bij ARTS THREAD…
Editor-in-chief Katie Dominy
Arts Thread is het nieuwe magazine voor de gelukkige artistiekelingen uit de industrie; van 16+ studenten kunstopleiding overwegen of al volgen tot professionals en onderwijzers, die de kneepjes van het creatieve vak beheersen. Het magazine en de ondersteunende website, www.artsthread.com, zullen als hét creatieve platform fungeren, waarop het beste werk van Europese studenten en alumni geshowcased wordt. Daarbij bevatten beide mediums up-to-date nieuws, vers uit de industrie, die de interesse kunst & design te meer prikkelen. Het geselecteerde werk wordt puur op de creatieve en artistieke waarde beoordeeldt. Eenmaal gekozen en gepubliceerd, dan zal het de blikken vangen van meer dan 1000 top industrie professionals, die het magazine gratis ontvangen. Hoe? Wij bezoeken persoonlijk alle afstudeershows om de denkwijze van nieuwe, talentvolle ontwerpers te ontrafelen. Wij zijn ervan overtuigd dat trends vaak in meerdere ontwerpdisciplines verschijnen. Precies daarvoor hebben wij speciaal de Follow the Thread sectie gecreëerd. Hier is te zien hoe al deze disciplines in elkaar haken. Verder is het magazine opgedeeld in 4 designgroepen:
Art Direction/Design Matt Bucknall Editorial team Fran Hunt Sarah Dennis Special thanks to Roy Deverell Jainy Gans Barry Fantoni Print Headley Brothers www.headley.co.uk Contact us To submit work: art@artsthread.com University lecturers: teach@artsthread.com Industry professionals: pro@artsthread.com
mode/textiel/accessoires visuele communicatie product design/interieur keramiek/sierraden/glas
Press: press@artsthread.com
THREAD Cover Image Big Foot, Vincent Geraedts Design Academy Eindhoven www.gsign.nl Fashion/textiles/accessories visual communication product design/furniture ceramics/jewellery/glass
Photo Hans van der Mars
Deze 4 geometrische iconen zullen u door het magazine heen helpen navigeren. We wensen je daarbij een plezierige ontdekkingsreis, door het werk van de getalenteerde ontwerpers uit dit nummer, toe. Nieuwsgierig naar meer? Bezoek onze website: www.artsthread.com. In het online E-magazine zijn buiten bewerkte versies van artikelen uit het huidige nummer, ook praktische forums, een portfolio galerie, stageaanbiedingen en updates van kunst & design exposities in Europa te vinden.
Bienvenue à ARTS THREAD…
Welcome to ARTS THREAD…
Arts Thread est un nouveau magazine pour ceux qui étudient les arts appliqués. Il s’adresse aussi bien qu’aux étudiants de plus de seize ans ayant l’intention de poursuivre leurs études à l’université qu’aux enseignants et aux professionnels de l’industrie. Le magazine et son site de support, www.artsthread.com, se sont engagés à mettre en valeur les meilleures créations des étudiants et des diplômés en arts appliqués se trouvant en Europe et, aussi, de faire paraître des informations provenant d’enseignants et de spécialistes de l’industrie afin de provoquer un intérêt plus grand envers la matière. Les oeuvres sélectionnées seront jugées essentiellement sur leurs mérites créatives et artistiques. Elles seront vues par une sélection de mille professionnels du plus haut niveau de l’industrie, qui reçoivent le magazine à titre gratuit. Nous visitons toutes les expositions des projets de diplômés afin de vous signaler les tendances actuelles des nouveaux designers. Nous croyons que ces tendances se manifestent souvent dans tous les secteurs des arts appliqués et c’est pourquoi nous avons créé la rubrique Suivre le Fil (Follow the Thread) où on peut voir comment se croisent les éléments divers de l’art et du design.
Arts Thread is a new magazine for those involved in the study of the applied arts, from 16+ students considering going to university through to lecturers and industry professionals. The magazine and its supporting website, www.artsthread.com, has a commitment to be a platform to showcase the best work from students and graduates of applied art from around Europe and to publish information from lecturers and industry specialists that encourages a greater interest in the subject. The work chosen will be judged purely on creative and artistic merits and will be seen by an edited list of 1000 top industry professionals, who are sent magazines free of charge. We personally visit all the graduate shows to show you how new designers are thinking. We believe that these design trends often appear across all the applied arts, so we have created our Follow the Thread section where you can see how the various strands of art & design interlock.
En outre dans le magazine nous divisons les arts appliqués en 4 groupes: Mode/Textiles/Accessoires La communication visuelle Design de produits/meubles Céramique/bijouterie/verre Vous retrouverez régulièrement ces quatre icônes géométriques dans le magazine pour vous faciliter la navigation. Nous espérons que vous apprécierez de découvrir le travail d’un groupe de designers si talentueux. Nous vous invitons à visiter notre site www.artsthread.com où nous vous dévoilons beaucoup d’autres choses. Dans le E-magazine en ligne nous vous présentons des versions plus détaillées des articles qui figurent dans ce numéro ainsi que des forums pratiques de spécialistes, la galerie de portfolio, des opportunités de placements et des annonces détaillées concernant les expositions d’art et design en Europe.
For the rest of the magazine we divide the applied arts into 4 groups: fashion/textiles/accessories visual communication product design/furniture ceramics/jewellery/glass You will find these 4 geometric icons throughout the magazine to help you navigate more quickly. We hope you enjoy discovering the work of the talented designers we’ve featured in this issue. If you are graduating soon and would like to send us information and images, please do contact us on art@artsthread.com. Visit our website www.artsthread.com to see much more. In the online E-magazine, we have extended versions of the articles in this issue, plus specialist practical forums, portfolio gallery, work placement opportunities and in-depth listings for art & design exhibitions in Europe.
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Follow the Thread T
his section follows the thread of ideas coming through in recent graduate work, from form and function through to materials and colour. Strong ideas grow from a broad awareness of what’s happening in all sectors of the applied arts. Great collaborations and fresh thoughts spring from studying at the work of people designing for other industries, often one completely different from your own. The strongest themes often appear across all the applied arts, so we have created our Follow the Thread section where you can see how the various strands of art & design interconnect.
FOLLOW THE THREAD
SOFT VOLUME
Pumped up softness / How is it made? / Invisible construction Colours that calm / Fabrics appear to mould
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1 Lise Lefebvre, Design Academy Eindhoven, www.liselefebvre.com 2 Zuzana Kynclovรก, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Prague, info@flowgallery.co.uk 3 Naomi Schillinger, University of Westminster, www.harrowceramics.co.uk/naomi.html
FOLLOW THE THREAD
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4&5 Soft Intensions, Daniera ter Haar, Design Academy Eindhoven, www.daniera.nl 6 Nacho Carbonell, Design Academy Eindhoven, www.nachocarbonell.com 7 Claes Iversen, Fashion Institute Arnhem, www.claesiversen.com Photos: 1 José van Riele / 3 Sussie Ahlburg / 4&5 Lisa Klappe / 6 José van Riele / 7 Peter Stigter
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concertina Pleated & folded / Ruffled wreath
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1 Min-Ji Cho, Royal College of Art, www.minjicho.com 2 Halo, Wieland Vogel, Design Academy Eindhoven, www.wielandvogel.nl 3 Maria Hjelm, Royal College of Art, maria.hjelm@alumni.rca.ac.uk
FOLLOW THE THREAD 11
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4 Jason Heap, University of Lincoln, www.jasonheapfurniture.com 5 Laura Barley, Nottingham Trent University, laurabarley21@hotmail.co.uk 6 First year students, Antwerp Fashion Academy 2007, www.antwerp-fashion.be Photos: 2 Vincent van Gurp / 6 Etienne Tordoir
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blemished beauty Aesthetic corrosion / Designed by the material / Reveal the treasure Beauty of the everyday / Expose over time
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1 Suzi Tibbetts, Middlesex University, iclimbtrees@hotmail.co.uk 2 Light Book, Olivia Cheung, University of Brighton, www.olivia-cheung.com 3 Samantha Warren, Middlesex University, samantha_warren@hotmail.com
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FOLLOW THE THREAD 13
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4 Psoriasis, Tamsin van Essen, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, www.vanessendesign.com 5 Shredding, David Aspinall, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, www.david-aspinall.com 6 Jo Gibson, Cardiff school of Art & Design, www.jogibson.co.uk
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PlayTIME
Paintbox brights / Happy jumble / Cartoon confusion Childlike simplicity / Soft & Rounded 3
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1 Rebecca Gair, Pin Cushion, Goldsmiths, University of London, bexibop@hotmail.co.uk 2 Søren Bach, Royal College of Art, www.sorenbach.com 3 Barbara Anderson, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Dundee, staring_intently@yahoo.co.uk 4 Morgan Allen-Oliver, Ravensbourne College of Design & Communications, mtaoliver@hotmail.com 5 Louise Grey, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, www.louisegrayfashion.com 6 Krishna Chavda, University of Westminster, krishna.chavda@hotmail.co.uk
FOLLOW THE THREAD 15
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7 First year students, ArtEZ Arnhem 2007, www.modearnhem.nl 8 Lots of Rings, Neo Kakita, Middlesex University, naopi_7070@hotmail.com 9 Gary Booley, The Ideal Body, University of Portsmouth, gahboochavboo@yahoo.com 10 Jamie Brown, University of Brighton, www.jamiejongo.co.uk
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FASHION/TEXTILES/ACCESSORIES 17 The Women who fell to Earth, Rani Bageria, Fashion Department, Antwerp Academy The purity and beauty of tribes inspired this collection. The honest, rough style of the people of rural Romania, with their use of raw materials combined with lace and playful embroidery. ranikaz@gmx.at
New Volume New Volume can indicate the simple concept of layering, but equally the suggestion of rounded form as if created in dough by the hands of the patisserie chef. Explore the unexpected highs and lows of materials that we bend to our will
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First year students 2007, Fashion Department, Antwerp Academy Variations on the Dress by first year students at the Fashion Department, Antwerp Academy Photo: Etienne Tordoir
FASHION/TEXTILES/ACCESSORIES 19
PLAY!, Heidi Mellors, Nottingham Trent University Play! is a collection of products aimed at maximizing tactile and visual stimulation for children and adults. Hand felted merino wool is translated into unique interactive wall, floor and individual pieces. heidi.mellors7@ntlworld.com
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Vivian Hoogendoorn, ArtEZ, Arnhem ‘I grew up around my father’s tree nursery and I’ve always been fascinated about planting trees and watching them grow! It’s the same when I design bags, trying to use just one piece of leather/silk/fabric to create a new bag. So I force myself to find new solutions for shaping fabric.’ viefhoogendoorn@hotmail.com
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KARTOON KOUTURE, Søren Bach, Royal College of Art Kartoon Kouture is an adventure into the expressive world of cartoon and pop art translated into kaleidoscopic millinery. Luxury, natural fabrics, such as horsehair and human hair are given unique colouring and dyeing techniques. www.sorenbach.com
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Inspiration in the accidental Claus Iverson is a 2008 MA graduate from the Fashion Institute Arnhem and explains his work to Arts Thread AT Can you tell us about the influences behind your Autumn/Winter 2008 collection?
craftsmanship of Couture. The rose and the craftsmanship have a central role in the collection.
CI I’ve named my autumn/winter 2008 collection Fasten your seatbelt, we are up for a bumpy ride! Continuously being occupied by beauty and aesthetics, I found myself seeking a challenge by turning it around again. Since I was still studying, I also wanted to really learn something in the process. This was a totally different approach from the one I would normally take. I found my inspiration in randomness, accidents, miss-forms, misshapes and garbage. They formed the basis for the shapes in this new collection. The silhouettes presented have all been developed from what would normally be considered as a defect or a coincidence. The car crash, as a literal accident, plays a key role in the collection. But also accidents that occurred in the research phase and technical accidents made during the process of production have been integrated in the final result. The collection has resulted in a clash. Not only literally, but also a clash within myself. The past year has been a continuous confrontation with the value of aesthetics and luxury and made me seek beauty in the ‘ugly’. I knew from the beginning that it would not be some highly conceptual collection, but would inevitably turn out as beautiful garments.
AT Why did you decide to study for a postgraduate degree at the Fashion Institute Arnhem (FIA)?
AT Can you tell us about the influences behind your Spring/ Summer 2008 collection? CI About two months before the fashion week in Amsterdam in July, I got the opportunity to have my own sponsored show. It was meant to be an overview of all my previous work, but I felt it was important to also show new work. Alongside a selection of old pieces I showed a small new collection of ten pieces, which also included studies in traditional garments (pantaloons, corset, trenchcoat…) I had been given an old sewing box from my grandmother. In the box were several couture roses made for hats in the 1930s and 40s that she had made herself, as she was a hat-maker at the time. They reminded me of what I love so much about fashion; the
CI After graduating from The Royal Academy of Art in the Hague, I felt quite insecure about starting my own label. I also really felt that I needed to further develop my signature. The FIA seemed a unique opportunity to make another collection(s) with the guidance from some of the best people in the business. AT What were the most important lessons you learnt at the FIA? CI Being conscious about who you are as a designer: seems pretty simple, but it’s always a continuous discovery. What do you as a designer have to offer that no one else has? And how do you place yourself in the sea of known and unknown designers? The FIA taught me to always look critically at my own work, realising my strengths and weaknesses. AT How do you see your work progressing in the future? CI Currently I’m working on a summer collection that will be presented this July. Alongside a ready to wear collection, I would still like to make madeto-measure/Couture. The craftsmanship is really where my heart lies in fashion, so being able to do both would really be the ideal situation. To see more of Claes’s work: www.claesiverson.com
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Catwalk congratulations to Claus Iverson Photos Left middle and top Autumn/Winter 2008, Peter Stigter Left below Spring/Summer 2008, Joris Bruring This page Autumn/Winter 2008, Peter Stigter
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on digital design are aimed at graphic/web design, whereas this is designed to appeal specifically to the textile designer.
Digital craft London-based textile designer Melanie Bowles is currently taking time out from her position as Senior Lecturer in Digital Textiles at Chelsea College of Art and Design to concentrate on her own exploration into digital printing, and to write a book combining practical and inspirational information AT Can you tell us about your current work? MB I am currently researching digital printing onto a wide range of fabrics including organic cotton, wild silk and hemp, and also experimenting with overlaying digital embroidery to create more depth and surface quality. I am a member of TED (Textiles Environment Design), which aims to
AT Why is the digital textiles course at Chelsea so important for the future of textiles?
challenge the designer to help reduce the impact on the environment. For a recent exhibition, I explored the emotional and historical attachment we have to textiles and the way we interact with craft in relation to technology. My aim was to replicate the meticulous process of the embroiderer’s needle by building up complex and intricate designs in Illustrator, which I then digitally printed onto hemp/silk to create a luxury organic fabric.
MB It’s important for a textile designer to have a strong individual approach to design and maintain a personal handwriting in their work. At Chelsea, we push students to be creative and innovative with the skills they are learning. Digital design and print is enabling the textile designer to think differently; the use of photographic imagery and large-scale placement is allowing textiles to become more conceptual as well as decorative. By combining traditional print processes with digital print we are finding a new hybrid craft emerging.
AT Can you discuss the advantages of digital printing over traditional silkscreen printing?
AT What advice do you have for students thinking of choosing a textiles course?
MB The main advantage is the rapid turnaround time using a less labour intensive process. The technique also allows for a high level of detail, offers a limitless colour palette and allows more freedom for layout and composition. Digital printing is more environmentally friendly than screenprinting, as there is less dyes/chemicals and water wastage, and the printer is more energy efficient. However, the cost is still high and screen-printing remains cheaper for larger print runs.
MB Textiles is an extremely exciting and diverse area to work in, but be prepared to work hard. Be ambitious and learn as much as you can, as it’s highly competitive when you leave college. Try and gain as many skills as you can, identify and push your strengths; be adaptable and flexible. Keep an open mind as you may end up in areas that you didn’t expect yourself to be in.
AT Can you tell us about the book you are writing? MB The book is very inspirational showing how digital print is being used within fashion and interiors. It also has technical information about digital fabric printing as well as a series of tutorials using Photoshop and Illustrator. Currently, books
Digital Textile Design by Melanie Bowles, co-authored with Ceri Isaac, is due to be published in February 2009 by Laurence King www.melaniebowles.co.uk www.chelsea.arts.ac.uk www.tedresearch.net
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The world of Rosemeike de Hair Rosemieke de Hair from ArtEZ Arnhem discusses her graduate accessories collection, called Wouldn’t it be… AT Can you tell us about the influences behind your collection? RdeH The most important influence behind my graduate collection is the fact that my mum and dad bought me a camera. My biggest inspiration is my personal life, things I experience and special memories. By getting that camera I was able to make beautiful pictures of what was happening in my life that meant a lot to me. This really helped me in creating a collection and making decisions about colours and materials. My pictures show the world inside my head. AT Why did you decide to make a book featuring images from the collection? RdeH I decided to make a book because I want to show the world the whole package. Not only my bags and other accessories, but also the world behind them. I want to allow people to see the total picture. My book is the closest people can get to how I felt during the period of my graduation. No words can explain it better. AT Who took the photographs for the book? RdeH The first part of the book contains my inspiration pictures. I took them myself, most of them from around my house. Some of the pictures of the collection are taken by Sjoerd Vroonland in a factory in Arnhem, and others, shot around a large-scale window, are taken in a factory in Oberhausen by Henk-Jan Boluijt. AT How do you see your work progressing in the future? RdeH I’ve started working for the fashion label Humanoid at their studio in Arnhem. It was set up by Sandra Harmsen and sells all around the world. For me, it’s a nice opportunity to learn more under someone else’s wings. In addition, I will be trying to make a living out of my own work! I’m not the kind of person who is able to work at the same place all week, so for me it’s a good mix. To see more of Rosemieke de Hair’s work: www.rosemiekedehair.nl
photo Sjoerd Vroonland
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VISUAL COMMUNICATION 27
CRAFTED Maybe as a response to the photoshopped visual world around us, crafted designs appear from knitting yarns, a splurge of ink, artfully-engineered cardboard and a desire for hands-on creation.
Traffic-Circus, Eva Molly Kyhl, London College of Communications ‘A reflection on the similarities between traffic and circus. I began this project by looking at signs and visual language in cities where we move according to lights and signs. The amazing thing is that it is indicated by time. We are conformed in a pattern.’ www.zoeandmolly.co.uk
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100% Sap, Daniera ter Haar & Christoph Brach, Design Academy Eindhoven 100% SAP is a project about the power of natural colour. Vegetables are transformed into a natural ink to feed a new printing process. This enables the viewer to watch the printed posters to grow slightly. A 3D ingredient returns as a 2D icon. Raw Color sees vegetables dismantled and purified to their visual essence. The harvested colour is captured by a new process that preserves their intensity onto colour cards. Categorized by shades and families, a new map is created to show off their beautiful diversity. www.rawcolor.nl
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An Ode to a Laser Printer, Fredrik Sterner & Jacob Blandy, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design ‘This project acts both as a tribute to a tool that we as graphic designers use a lot and as a self-referential object, as it is a replica made from paper printed by the original model. A will to create something tangible in contrast to the somehow distanced design process that we usually engage with. We were also interested in the economics of the material (office paper) and the black toner, and the traces the machine leaves behind in its own process.’ www.fredriksterner.com www.blandy.org
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World’s Best, V&A Village Fete, Vicky Simmons and George Lewin, Camberwell College of Arts ‘Our stall was about celebrating people’s talents, no matter how normal or obscure, trivial or monumental. People were encouraged to create their own rosette and have a photograph taken on our winner’s podium. Novelty bank cheque, tiara, flowers, giant rosette and gold cup were optional.’ www.vickysimmons.co.uk www.georgelewin.co.uk Photo: Tom Merrell
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YA RLY & O RLY, Chris Svensson, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design ‘Lately, I have been interested in Internet image macros and other contemporary memes. On some level, I feel that they have begun to usurp the plastic arts and traditional modes of craft, such as needlepoint, knitting, cross-stitch etc, at least where the casual participant is concerned. This series is an attempt to invert the trend.’ www.christophersvensson.org
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NEW TYPE
Arts Thread talks to recent Central Saint Martin’s BA graduate David Aspinall about the work for his degree show and beyond…
the laborious process of folding and sticking. The making side of it took about 18 hours. I started at 2pm in the afternoon the day before the 10am crit (college review): I just about got it finished. Shredding was exhibited as part of Design Interiors in Birmingham in January 2008.
AT Magic Type – what was the inspiration? And how was it created? DA My inspiration was simple. I was in a charity shop and noticed a Magic Garden kit, which I remembered from my childhood. I just thought that would be great to make a typeface, since when the crystals grow it would make it 3D. It wasn’t a great leap, since 3D type was already on my mind! I ordered about 10 Magic Garden kits and using the big blue mountains, I designed and then cut out letters. I then made the set and started filming. The Magic video was actually the second attempt as I learnt a lot about the process through trial and error. The final shoot took about 16 hours, with a frame being taken every 2 minutes. AT Has using video changed the way you work? Does it offer more possibilities for 3D type effects?
AT The Let there be Laser typeface formed part of your degree show – how was it done? And what was the inspiration behind it? DA It came from looking at type, thinking of ways to make type that didn’t involve ink. The inspiration came from doodling in a sketchbook, which is where most of my ideas originate. The basic concept was to make letter forms by redirecting a laser through a series of mirrors. The research took a while, and I got relatively deep into the physics of reflection, refraction and dissipation. I even spoke to a doctor of physics from Cambridge University. I originally wanted to create really detailed typefaces, with all of the serifs etc, but the cost of optical mirrors was prohibitive, and so I had to compromise with the letter forms.
DA I am not experienced in creating 3D video effects by computer and so it does not really affect the way that I work. I enjoy making things in the real world. I like working with real materials, and like the physical craft. Having said all that, being able to create 3D effects is something I would love to be able to do. AT How do you think your work will progress in the future? DA I want to introduce an interactive element to my work, perhaps involving electronics. I am going to be doing a course in April on creative coding and physical computing. Although this might sound quite dry, I think there is huge creative potential when exploring this field. It’s essentially about developing systems to enable the user to become involved.
AT Can you tell us about the course’s 2D material, 3D type project? DA This was a brief set by our third year tutor Thea Swayne and it was essentially an exercise in mental dexterity. Put simply, you had to take a two dimensional material and make it three dimensional, the resolution being a typographic word or sentence. I ended up making two resolves, Shredding and Magic Type. AT Shredding – what was the inspiration? And how was it created? DA I started thinking about origami, since it makes a 2D material 3D. From there I played around with a few ideas and went for what I thought would be the most elegant. I always thought the undulation at the bottom could be really beautiful, especially because the type, rather than me, was designing it. The process was as follows: designing a pixel based typeface, and then mapping out the folds and cuts – all done using the computer. From there I got a large sheet of paper and using the computer map, made a grid on the back in pencil. I then cut the paper into 0.5 cm strips and stuck it to a piece of wood. Then came
AT What do you see as the key trends currently in graphic design and typography? DA A trend I have noticed is the regression back to hand made images/graphics. I don’t know why, perhaps it is to do with people being overloaded with new technology - they don’t really understand how it works. Maybe they find a certain comfort in knowing that it came from a human being using a process they understand. To see more of David Aspinall’s work, www.david-aspinall.com
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Everyday materials act as inspiration for 3D type
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t the 2008 graduate shows, Arts Thread noticed how even the most humble materials are being pressed into use to create new 3D typefaces, from cardboard and household nails to cork, paper and plastic. In the Everyday Use of ABC Packaging by Madoka Takuma ‘the typographical sequence allows random everyday items to seamlessly relate to one another and find their place amidst a jumble of objects.’ Take Part Typeface by Ed Nugent, ‘is created by stretching elastic bands over nails to create letterforms. The design allows people to take part and experiment with the elastic bands and create their own letters.’ Play Time by Rachel Tarlan promotes the use of paper and card as the starting point for a piece of design and Katie Davies created a visual system for a record company called r/n, by attaching some 60m of pink plastic to the hills of Devil’s Dyke. The Builder by Didem Ogmen deconstructs letters to their fundamental building shapes and eliminates common elements; a project taking inspiration from the architecture of slum buildings.
Top left Take Part Typeface, Edward Nugent, South East Essex College, blade_ed@hotmail.com Top right Katie Davies, University of Brighton, katiedavies1985@hotmail.co.uk Above The Everyday Use of ABC Packaging, Madoka Takuma, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, www.madokatakuma.com Photo: Nobu Yamaguchi Left Builder, Didem Ogmen, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, www.didemogmen.com Far left Play Time, Rachel Tarlan, www.racheltarlan.co.uk
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INDEPENDENT DESIGNERS Making a difference and challenging the accepted: a key aim of the MA graphic design programme at the Werkplaats Typografie, Arnhem like-minded people. Also, the parties we organise are part of the fun WT can offer.’ Every September the course starts with an introductory visit to a leading contemporary exhibition or event, such as the Venice Biennale or Documenta in Kassel. Also in September, students take part in a project organised by an external guest supervisor; last year it was Rob Hamelijnck and Nienke Terpsma from Fucking Good Art, who ran a workshop on fanzines. WT is open to group projects from outside, such as the 2005 project for the International Poster and Graphic Arts Festival in Chaumont where the entire school – students, staff and equipment – relocated to an exhibition space in the town. The students worked in the space for seven weeks, culminating in a collaborative publication on contemporary Dutch designers. ‘The process of making our publications is part of the programme, in the sense that the students are obliged to come up with interesting content, both text and images, edit this and then design it. The publications also represent WT to the outside world and show who we are.’
T
he Werkplaats Typografie (WT) forms part of the ArtEZ Institute of the Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands and runs a two-year master’s programme in graphic design. Accepting a maximum of twelve students a year, the course offers a mix of external assignments and self-initiated work. The WT course is run by Karel Martens (KM) and Armand Mevis (AM) with an important role given to visiting lecturers and guest supervisors. There is an emphasis on a high level of selfmotivation and students’ wanting to start their own design studio. As KM and AM note; ‘We encourage our participants to make a difference and become leading designers and not to accept the status quo. It’s therefore necessary for them to know very clearly where they stand in the international field. They can only achieve this by questioning themselves and their (design) capacities; being criticised by the experienced tutors and being challenged to make interesting work.’ The WT is located in a former radio transmitting station built in 1935. Each of the students chooses a workplace in one of the available spaces, supplied with computer complete with the latest Adobe and Quark programmes etc. The studio is accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with each student having a key to the studio. This is important to WT as KM and AM explain, ‘People learn by doing or making things and get experience through different ways of interaction with others (between the students themselves, the tutors, the external commissioning clients). This can’t happen within a fixed 9 to 5 context. WT functions as a studio and meeting place for
WT also houses a gallery space, Speelplaats, on the lower floor, home to temporary exhibitions. www.werkplaatstypografie.org
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Fusion The blending of different materials to create surprising new juxtapositions of form. New technologies of 3D scanning and digital mapping are offering us new ways of ‘replicating’ an object by using the computer model instead of our localised human vision
Meltdown Chair, Tom Price, ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART This chair is created by heating and pressing a seat-shaped former into a ball of polypropyelene rope. The rope begins to liquefy as it comes into contact with the headed former, and, as it cools, it sets in the shape of a seat. www.tom-price.com
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Hunn Wai, Design Academy Eindhoven Tre di Una is a group of unique and playful pieces involving interventions of colourful plastic clay onto the components of an everyday wooden chair. These hybrid creatures suggest new possibilities and functions. Constructed from beech, steel and pigmented plastic clay. www.hunnwai.com
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Christine Misiak, Northumbria University Old neglected tea sets are rejuvenated by recycling, reworking and resurfacing them into elegant one-off pieces. Design details from discarded old tea sets are blended with contemporary styling to create a vibrant contrast of new and old. www.christinemisiak.co.uk
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CAST LIGHT, Tom Price, Royal College of Art These sculptural lighting pieces are made from solidified light. A small light bulb was placed in a 3D scanning device and the halo of light recorded by the scanner has been converted into a 3D solid model of the surface of the glow. These models are then built in nylon using rapid manufacturing technology. www.tom-price.com
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BUITENBEENTJE (Odd Man Out), Anna ter Haar, Design Academy Eindhoven A fascination with the odd man out, the freak, and how it can turn into something of beauty. These chairs made from polyurethane resin represent movement congealed in material. The chairs may look fluid, but they are strong enough to sit on. www.annaterhaar.nl
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Compact & minimal Product designers are finding ways to create household appliances that maximise small space living
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s the pressure of urban living demands many are forced to live in smaller spaces, recently graduated product designers have picked up on the need for household appliances that can become invisible when not in action. Jin Sang Hwang’s Stool Vacuum Cleaner is, as the name suggests, a vacuum cleaner that can be used as a simple stool when it’s not needed. Sally Coventry’s All-in-One Laundry Unit is a slim freestanding unit that combines washing machine, ironing board and dryer unit. Jeremy Brown’s Crisis Cube started life as a temporary seating unit for Architecture for Humanity’s project for accommodating homeless people over Christmas. Made from exactly one sheet of MDF, the cube can be stacked flat or used as shelving or a space divider. Due to strong interest in the work, the cube is being redesigned for public use.
Top Stool Vacuum Cleaner, Jin Sang Hwang, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, www.jinsanghwang.com Above Crisis Cube, Jeremy Brown, Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication, www.jeremybrowndesign.com Left All-in-One Laundry Unit, Sally Coventry, Northumbria University, sallycoventry@hotmail.com
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SUPPORTING NEW TALENT Beyond the Valley provides a launch pad into London’s retail heartland
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eyond the Valley is a store located off London’s Carnaby Street, dedicated to providing new designers with a centrally located retail, gallery and studio space to launch new products onto the market. Envisaged as a true concept shop, the space mixes homewares with jewellery, illustration, wallpaper, fashion and much more. The space was set up by three graphic design graduates from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design; Jo Jackson, Kate Harwood and Kristjiana S Williams, who wanted a way to showcase and sell their work after graduating in 2003. Originally located in Covent Garden, the store is now in nearby Newburgh Street. According to Jo Jackson, it was important that the location was central, enabling it to be easily accessible to their target customers. The website receives on average about five emails a day from new designers and the team have a monthly review to look through all the new applications. Jo recommends sending 3 to 5 low-resolution
Clockwise from above What is Love, www.greygrey.com Billions Jug, Harry White Blaue Milk Jug, ‘Gold Shoes’, Tina Tsang Big Dipper, Sarah van Gameren
images, with a short description of the designs and their availability. The new designers that the team chose are given three months in the store to see how their designs sell, acting as a platform for the designer to showcase and test out new ideas. The successful designers are then also given advice on how to develop their work for larger scale production and international distribution. Beyond the Valley currently has over 100 recent graduates on its books, from universities such as the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins and Goldsmiths. The store has also recently launched its own label fashion and homewares range which sits alongside the new work. The store also has a gallery space that is used for both graduate shows and temporary exhibitions, such as Fabrica Features from Benetton and Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio. Beyond the Valley, 2 Newburgh St, London W1F 7RD www.beyondthevalley.com
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THE ART OF CRAFT
Lise Lefebvre, graduate of the MA Conceptual Design course at Design Academy Eindhoven, recreates traditional crafts
AT Can you tell us about your graduate project Aesthetics of domestic sound? LL When I started working on my thesis, I looked at how there are design solutions for everything surrounding you in your home, from floors to furniture to temperature, light, smell etc… yet we are quite powerless when faced with unwanted noise. From there, I researched the role that design and designers can have on our soundscape. It led me to experiment with changing the sound at its source: the objects around us. AT Your projects have a strong interest in the traditions of the home and domesticity – can you explain this? LL I’m fascinated by craft techniques in general. I love to learn how to make things and the process behind materials and finished products. I like the beauty and simplicity behind the familiar, the everyday life, and, therefore, the home environment. AT Can you explain your new project Blanket Statement? LL This is a carpet made from a recycled wool blanket. These beautiful traditional woven blankets are being replaced by less scratchy modern throws and so end up pilled up in thrift stores. I wanted to reuse them in the form of soft contemporary rugs, while hinting at another type of oldfashioned interior item: the classic bear skin rug. AT How have you used your earlier experience in feltmaking in your projects? LL Feltmaking is for me a magical and
soothing activity. You start from raw wool, which you transform into felt using only hot water, soap and your own two hands. You basically transform one material into a different material just by using friction. Besides the unique properties and appeal of this material, I’m also very interested in creating seamless volume with it. It’s like moulding with clay but resulting in a textile. It’s also at the frontier between craft and industrial design, because it’s quite easy to produce precisely on an industrial scale – which is something I’m working on at the moment, (industrial 3D felting). When you are confident in your ability to use a technique you don’t waste your energy trying out ways to make your models, it becomes a tool just like drawing or photography to get your message across. AT Can you tell us about the projects you have been involved in since leaving the academy? LL Last summer, right after graduation, I started working at a unique and amazing place here in the Netherlands. It’s called the Textile Museum (www.textielmuseum.nl), but it’s much more than just a museum. It’s an innovation lab for all things textile-related. We have high-tech weaving, knitting, embroidery, laser-cutting machines etc that are available for designers, artists, and students to come make their prototypes. My job there is to design part of the collection for the museum gift shop, using all the techniques and machines available there, and highlighting the properties of each technique. I also help
other designers with the programming and prototyping on the knitting machines. I work there half the week, and the rest of the time I work in my own studio, on very diverse projects ranging from concept packages for special events in restaurants, to consulting for a large appliance company (in direct relation to my graduation project), to getting some of my own designs manufactured and distributed, and of course, self-initiated new products and design competitions.. AT How do you see your work progressing in the future? LL Aside from my newfound love for 3D knitting machines, I’ve been working more and more with food lately. This could be something I’d like to develop in the future, not as a chef, but as a designer considering food as a product… To see more of Lise Lefebvre’s work: www.liselefebvre.com Above Aesthetics of domestic sound Photo Left: Sander Lucas, middle and right: Agata Jaworska Right Blanket Statement: reclaimed wool blanket, polyurethane foam, wood.
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Art + ScIence From botanical forms to abstract mathematical theories, ‘science’ acts as inspiration for design. Purity of colour and boldness of silhouette characterise these pieces.
Coalescence ii, James Lethbridge, Royal College of Art ‘Drawing upon botanical sources of inspiration, I use the fluid organic aesthetic of hot glass to construct objects that question traditional relationships between sculpture and lighting. In visual translation they can be interpreted as strange or unreal botanical flora – almost ‘alien’ in appearance.’ www.jameslethbridgeglass.com
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Quarks, Tamsin van Essen, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design ‘Scientists are busy developing sophisticated theories around the existence of things that are impossible for us to see. Focusing on this realm of the intangible, I wanted to explore how abstract theoretical ideas can be visually represented and to play with the notion that today’s cutting-edge theories may one day be seen as quaint and curious museum pieces.’ www.vanessendesign.com
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Unsustainable, Greetje van Helmond, Royal College of Art ‘I use everyday, basic materials to create products that appear valuable and sustainable. Because of the materials I use, the products won’t last long, but long enough to stay new. I create jewellery out of sugar. Sugar has the quality of growing into crystals under special circumstances. By controlling the process, I allow crystals to grow around strings to form accessories.’ www.greetjevanhelmond.com
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Coffee with Lenor, Rose Reynolds, Glasgow School of Art Everyday objects reinvented with a sense of nostalgia. rosereynolds1@googlemail.com
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Serial Collection, Hans Tang, Design Academy Eindhoven In a parody of traditional Chinese decorative display plates, serial numbers are used as sheer embellishment for an edition of unique plates each sold as blatant ornaments, each piece unique for the sake of being unique.’ Designed in a limited edition of #01 – #20 for the exhibition HARK! at Singapore Design Festival 2007. Bone china plate, high temperature gold glaze, wooden stand. www.hanstan.net
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MEDICAL HEIRLOOMS That unsettling object of desire; the blemished beauty created by designer Tamsin van Essen
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edical Heirlooms is a collection of ceramic apothecary jars, which appear to have been affected by various hereditary diseases – osteoporosis, psoriasis, acne, cancer, syphilis. ‘I wanted to recreate the symptoms of these diseases, using ceramics to emulate the physiological processes. The jars represent family heirlooms that can be passed down through the generations in the same way as the hereditary diseases: a legacy of ill health. The theme was inspired by visits to the Hunterian Museum and other medical museums in London. I was interested in the way medical specimens are displayed and also people’s attitudes to disease and
health: the stigma attached to certain medical conditions and the general obsession with perfection and beauty. The forms of the collection are based on 17th to 18th century drug jars. It is as if the jars are showing the symptoms of diseases for which they might formerly have held the cure. The idea was to create thought-provoking objects of blemished beauty. Judging by people’s reactions at my degree show – a mixture of fascination and repulsion – they seemed to hit the spot. Some people say they find the pieces beautiful, some intriguing, while others find them unsettling. The jars are intended to be ornaments and conversation pieces, although several
could be put to functional use as unusual vases and containers. They can be displayed in people’s homes along with other heirlooms.’ Tamsin van Essen graduated in Ceramic Design from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design and featured her Medical Heirlooms collection in the end of year show. Tamsin’s work will be on show at a Craft Council exhibition Object as Muse at Winchester Discovery Centre from August 7 to September 19 2008, as well as in exhibitions in Dubai, Czech Republic and Belgium www.vanessendesign.com Above Osteoporosis, Tamsin van Essen
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Precious everyday Jewellery combines precious metals with everyday materials to create pieces that open up new worlds of references
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t the 2007 graduate shows Arts Thread noticed a trend for jewellery that combines precious metals, such as silver, with humble fabric and yarn, such as felt or nylon. Rita Bey Yu Lin links silver rings with red nylon thread; the red colour chosen as a symbol of good luck in Taiwanese culture. Anna Wales silver necklace becomes gradually more covered by felt. Other graduates have recreated everyday materials in precious metals, such as twists of string reworked into silver from Antonella Giomarelli or silver and brass mixed with found iron links from Sian Anwyl Williams.
Top Amulet of Imperfection: waiting for blossoming, 2007, silver, red nylon thread, Rita Bey Yu Lin, Royal College of Art, www.ritabeyyulin.com Above Silver and felt necklaces, Anna Wales, Middlesex University, anna_wales@hotmail.com Left ‘String’ rings, silver and jet, Antonella Giomarelli, Sheffield Hallam University, antonella-giomarelli@hotmail.com Above Left Chain with iron fencing links, brass and iron, Sian Anwyl Williams, Manchester Metropolitan University, siananwyl@hotmail.com
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Czech GLASS Gallery owner and curator Yvonna Demzcynska of London’s Flow Gallery introduces us to the upcoming talents in glass from the Czech Republic
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ohemian glass has long enjoyed a special status in Europe and in the 21st century we can see the result of the country’s unique teaching system. Young glassmakers from the Czech Republic benefit from a unique structure of early education, built on learning their glassmaking skills at specialist secondary schools in Bohemia and then further developing these at art & design universities. As the students develop highly sophisticated skills at a young age, this has led in turn, to them becoming teachers, as well as continuing their own work, while still in their twenties.
For the exhibition Yvonna chose to show the work of three teachers – Anna Polanská, Lada Semecká and Matin Hlubucek – and the work of their students. All three teachers attended a specialist glass secondary school in the late 80s, Anna and Lada in the town of Kamenický Šenov and Martin at Železný Brod. They then went on to study glass at the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design, Prague or at the University of Ústí nad Labem. As creative head of Cut Glass at Železný Brod secondary school since 2000, Anna Polanská taught Michal Šilhán, the youngest exhibiting artist in the show; born
in 1988. Rocking Horse, shown here, was created in 2006 while Michal was studying at the school and is part of a series inspired by traditional children’s toys. After the exhibition at the Flow gallery in spring 2008, the works will be shown at the Craft Study Centre, Farnham from August 26 to October 25 2008. For further information: www.flowgallery.co.uk/34.html www.csc.ucreative.ac.uk Pictured Rocking Horse, Mould-melted glass, cut, Michal Šilhán, Železný Brod glass school
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Arts Thread LIGHT projection, LA PETITE ROCHE, ST LEZIN, FRANCE The 4 geometric shapes that divide the sections of Arts Thread are projected onto a French farmhouse late at night. The projected shapes illuminated the entire house creating a spectacle that could be seen from miles around. Photo Henry Newman