Through the infusion of a cerebral yet virile narrative applied to rough work crafted in wood, iron, steel, marble, rush, paint, boiled leather, clay, baked agricultural waste, plant-life, gypsum drywall, and blood, sweat and tears.

This exhibition introduces new studio work by:
- Peter Marigold
- Oscar Magnus Narud
- Joost Van Bleiswijk
- Kiki Van Eijk
- Marcus Tremonto
- Qubus Design Studio
- Studio Formafantasma
- Aaron Raymer
- Drift (courtesy Carpenters Workshop Gallery, London)
- Christopher Chiappa (courtesy Kate Werble Gallery, New York)
- Simon Hasan (courtesy Johnson Trading Gallery, New York)
- Also featured are iconic Brazilian works (1954 to 2002) by Sergio Rodrigues for LinBrasil and The Mangiarotti Collection debuting historical design (1953 to 1978) by Angelo Mangiarotti for AGAPEcasa

From the press release:

While there is never at any one moment a singular, all pervasive and universal narrative being written in design or art, occasionally there emerges a critical mass, a “tipping point” as author Malcom Gladwell calls it, of influential designers and artists, some established and some perhaps little known outside their professional circles, whose work simultaneously addresses similar issues or reflects similar contemporary-culture realities (perhaps aesthetic, or political, or economic, or sociological in nature), embodying certain across-the-board characteristics which cumulatively have the potential to create a social epidemic, like a virus moving through the population.

MAKE ME. presents a small but diverse body of work by an otherwise un-related collective of artists and designers, which together celebrate a rough-hewn, virile, reductive, anti-academic, craft-driven, “tool-belt and heavy-lifting” aesthetic, paradoxically realized with such sensitivity and finesse, often embodying subtle, complex theoretical, structural, formal, and compositional aspects, and infused with such poetic narrative as to be necessarily characterized as “butch,” a word defined in today’s vernacular as a stereotypical “brute-masculine” approach taken by a stereotypical “sensitive-feminine” personality.

Read more about the exhibition on Moss’ website.

What: MAKE ME. The Emergence of BUTCH-CRAFT in Contemporary Design
When: September 15, 2010 – November 14, 2010
Where: Moss Gallery, 150 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012

The Flux Chair is a fun, portable foldable chair designed by Douwe Jacobs. While at Tendence 2010, I met Douwe and also co-founder and industrial designer Tom Schouten. Together, they created the Flux chair, the first of hopefully many pieces in their flexible living line.

Tom demonstrates how the chairs are easily folded and unfolded:

Kubik is a new installation that just returned to Berlin after a 4-year absence. The concept, developed by Balestra Berlin in 2006 was re-installed to energize disused urban spaces around the world by creating a unique fusion between water tanks, light shows and electronic beats.

Stacked up tank-walls illuminated in different colors together create a stunning interactive piece of architecture. Having been installed in 22 cities around the world, the Kubik is now back in its hometown of Berlin. It seemed fitting that Balestra Berlin collaborated with the Ritter Butzke a respected club in the Berlin electronic music scene and a place where cutting edge artists are often shown. Kubik is situated in a courtyard between two spaces — walls of an old factory that reach up to 20 meters high. This presented a challenge, but the 100+ water tanks have been installed in such a way to create a labyrinth of glowing tank walls, some up to 6 tanks high.

Kubik Concept: Balestra Berlin
Architect: Julian Arons
Light Designer: Andreas Barthelmes
Club Cooperation: Ritter Butzke & Balestra Berlin
Photos: Ben de Biel

The Joseph Joseph booth with a fun purple floor and reps dressed like chefs!

A new colander from Joseph Joseph.

ASA Selection had an enormous booth! I loved these little succulents in tiny containers.

Their black and white collection really hit it out of the park for me. The also won a Red Dot award for their Coffee To Go cup.

I have this one! My awesome cousin bought it for me in Belgium.

ASA also has a line of chalkboard homewares so you can easily label everything.

Faceted snap-together trash can and desk accessories from Italian company Pinetti.

Snurk, designer of the controversial Le-Clochard and Le-Trottoir cardboard duvet and cement sheets has come out with a few new designs. This first one is called White Laundry and features either a shirt, socks, bra or thong design.

This Madtress fitted sheet and Twirre duvet set are so cheeky and fun! The Twirre is actually to scale — the original piece that was photographed for the duvet is actually as large as a duvet.

Stelton’s “My” water bottle is beautiful. The perfect addition to their line of sleek, modern kitchenware. P.S. Have you seen their Paul Smith line?

Beautiful chair from Branca by Marco Sousa Santos.

Rope light and four-leaf clover magnets from Raumgestalt.

Place settings from Konstantin Slawinski.

Fun trivets from Konstantin Slawinski.

Part 3 coming up!

Hugh Hayden is a young Brooklyn-based architect/artist who has recently completed a special project for Lacoste at the 2010 US Open called racNets. The project was commissioned for Lacoste’s boutique window display at the 2010 US Open on display until the completion of the tournament.

The monogrammed racNets are an abstraction of the key components of tennis — a racket, the net, and balls. Each racNet spells a letter of L-A-C-O-S-T-E.

Following the US Open a limited edition of 25 personalized pieces will be available for purchase. For further personalization purchasers can have their racNet constructed using their own previously played balls. Constructed of CNC-milled plastic, polyester cord, and tennis balls. Most letters of the alphabet are possible.

The racNets are an evolution of previous work utilizing recycled tennis balls, including the HEX Tennis Chair and dog bed.

Since I’m such a big geek, I fell in love with this MacBook-shaped cutting board I spotted over at Holy Cool.

Pressed chair is a pressed aluminium chair designed by Harry Thaler that can be bent into shape into a super-light stackable chair.

By pressing structural elements into a 2.5mm sheet, Thaler was able to make a chair that pushes the limits of minimization and material. The chair which is light enough to be lifted with only two fingers, is extremely strong without any external structural support. Instead decorative features pressed into the sheet provide the required strength once the chair is bent into shape.

As part of Thaler’s aim to minimize everything he has also created a stool from the areas of scrap surrounding the chair when it is being cut. The stool, unlike the chair, is not made from 1 piece but 3. It is held together with screws.

A goldsmith, with a background that covers everything from jewelry design to carpentry, Thaler is currently completing his Masters in design at the Royal College of Art. He now divides his time between London and Merona and has opened his own studio.

Harry Thaler’s Pressed Chair is one of the Tent London Tent Selects, a program that has been set up to showcase the work of the next generation of world class designers — those who will create those “must have” items and future classics. Chosen by the team at Tent London, these UK and international designers are given the unique opportunity to exhibit free of charge during the London Design Festival within a curated area. The ultimate goal is to offer emerging designers access to industry, media contacts and the encouragement of professional practice.

It is an interesting addition to the market where tools — despite improvements in functionality — are seriously lagging behind in the design revolution changing almost every other segment of the market.

These high end designs will most certainly help attract the iPod and Blackberry generation outdoors. According to the Society of Garden Designers right now the upcoming generations have lost interest in the garden aspect of outdoors and this is a well-needed boost.

These are real market changers and will likely be on many holiday wishlists!