Cool Hunting

by Tamara Warren

British contemporary furniture designer Max Lamb brings the essence of the outdoors to American turf with his solo exhibit at the Johnson Trading Gallery in New York City. Sturdy and stalwart, Lamb's work has a primal, natural and organic feel.

Several of his newly commissioned pieces are made with Delaware bluestone, the blue sediment stone used in New York sidewalks which are sourced from the Catskill Delta. He traveled north to collect the stone and by using a combination of hand carving techniques and machine cutting he was able to create this latest collection of chairs, tables, benches and stools. He also incorporates limestone, pewter, bronze, copper and wool felt into the work. The table set appears as a rock garden extracted and sculpted, and benches are chiseled into symmetrical form that emit a sense of permanence and rawness.

Lamb's ascent in the industrial design world has been rapid. He received the 2003 Peter Walker Award for Innovation in Furniture Design and a 2004 Hettich International Design Award. He worked with Tom Dixon and Ou Baholyodhin Studio before launching his own design studio in 2007. Lamb’s past work with limestone and sandstone won praise at Design Miami/Basel where he was awarded the 2008 Designer of the Future Award. Pieces from this accompanying exhibit, "Solids of Revolution," will be shown at the New York gallery space along with a retrospective of his work including large, hand carved Polystyrene Dining Table and eight Poly Chairs, White Bronze Poly Chairs and a Nano-crystalline Copper Stool. Also, an accompanying film series explores his design philosophy and distinct process.

The exhibition will be on view from 8 October through 7 November 2008. More info and images available at Max Lamb and Johnson Trading Gallery.

Additional images after the jump.

Johnson Trading Gallery
490 Greenwich St.
New York, NY 10013 map
tel. +1 212 925 1110