Plaztik Mag x Factory Fresh: Boxed In

by CH Contributor

by Ariston Anderson

A prime example of the way global economic anxieties are already showing up in art is the group show "Boxed In," the latest presented by Plaztik Mag and Factory Fresh, in which artists created their cardboard dream home.

Alison Corrie, best known for her gorgeous design work and delicate collages, built a beautiful gyspy caravan, inspired by those she saw on her travels in Southern France. Artist Morgan Sheasby, created a miniature version of a log cabin, based on a design for a real log cabin he plans on building in upstate NY one day. While made out of cardboard, the structure is a testament to his architectural craft. Noah Sparkes took full advantage of the challenge with his vagrant interpretation of Buckminister Fuller’s geodesic dome, complete with Astroturf and internal lighting.

A cardboard bodega from Skewville offers bargain goods for sale, while CiscoNYC amazes people with a beautifully crafted, cardboard robot living among a cityscape.

While hopefully not a reality for most artists as we continue to trudge through the down season, the show is noteworthy in its interpretation of making the most out of nothing during hard times, resulting in a beautiful collection of work that challenges both the medium of cardboard and how we inhabit our own spaces.

Boxed In
Through 21 May 2009
Factory Fresh
1053 Flushing Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11237 map
tel. +1 212 243 1053

Elke Kramer: Miracles & Wonder

by Fiona Killackey

Given that she's one of Australia’s most respected and recognized accessories designers, Elke Kramer's announcement last month that she was branching out into a line of leather bags, scarves and belts is a welcome one. CH caught up with the designer, artist and all-round nice girl to chat about totes, tunes and technical design.

You're renowned for bracelets, bangles, pendants and rings. Why did you decided to branch out into belts, totes, bags and scarves?
After multiple seasons of jewelery collections, expanding into bags, scarves and belts was a natural progression. I thrive off new challenges and a new product brings with it a new realm of boundaries and possibilities.

What makes your bags better than all the rest out there? All of my products have a really strong attention to detail. Every feature and component is custom-designed and made from scratch—from the oversized inlay copper jump-rings and clasps to the laser cut piping and digitally-printed lining. As a graphic designer I can personally lend my creative touch to every element of the total package, like the huge woven labels, the foil printed swing tags and the full color custom packaging. It’s an opportunity for me to trial techniques that I am curious about and create something completely unique.

Finally, if you had to describe the bags with a song, which song would it be?
Blood Sugar Sex Magik by The Chili Peppers!

Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design for Modern Living

by Karen Day

Although known best for his work for Herman Miller, industrial designer Gilbert Rohde's entire output of work is an extensive collection of furniture and interiors, which Phyllis Ross examines in full in her recent book for Yale University Press, entitled "Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design For Modern Living."

Rohde broke ground with his ability to fuse innovation and tradition, laying the foundation for modernists after him, like the Eames' and George Nelson. With his mind functioning more as an engineer, Rohde focused on using new materials, which he successfully applied, creating iconic furniture that is both informal and comfortable.

A serious pioneer of American modernism, Rohde did more to help shape the distinctive look of America's postwar era than any other designer. Ross' monograph of Rohde's work and life is a detailed and perceptive recount of his influence on the first half of the 20th century and how they related to the time's social, economic and cultural circumstances.

The in-depth analysis includes 190 photographs of Rohde's furniture and interiors, a good deal of which editors sourced from archives and previously untapped resources and haven't been published elsewhere.

"Gilbert Rohde: Modern Design for Modern Living" is available for purchase from Yale University Press or Amazon.

MoMA Design Store Destination: Brazil

by Karen Day

The latest country to get the MoMA Design Store treatment is a land more known for samba and sunshine than for industrial design. Playing to Brazil's strengths, the exclusive collection is heavy on handmade objects that take advantage of indigenous natural resources, such as this centipede-inspired fruit bowl composed of coconut fibers, sugar cane and wood.

Also featuring both established and up-and-coming designers, MoMA's buyers came up with an appreciable assortment of home accessories, jewelry and more that evoke the colors and forms of Brazil, like Francesca Romana Diana's bangles, which replicate the famous Ipanema and Copacabana sidewalks and the silhouette of the Corcovado Mountain (pictured below).

Spanning time periods, there's also a mix of old and new, including the classic Mocho Stool from Sergio Rodrigues. The 1954 design interprets the traditional milkmaid's stool used throughout Brazil, using the same local eucalyptus wood of the original. Representing Brazil's contemporary national identity, the Campana Brothers' keep it modern with their new sushi bowl, a kaleidoscope of colors and materials rolled together in a manner implied by the name.

The Brazil collection will be available for a limited time via the MoMA Design Store website and brick-and-mortar shop or at MALBA (Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de Buenos Aires).

See more products after the jump.

Emerald Peacock Bar

by Lost At E Minor

Following the success of their Red Hummingbird on Russell Street in Melbourne (famous for its hummingbird wallpaper), the owners recently opened The Emerald Peacock bar and restaurant on Londsdale Street. While I'm sure the food and drink is fantastic, it's the sumptuous interior that's creating all the buzz. It again features signature wallpaper, used as the starting point for the entire design. Each space within the venue is slightly different, with eclectic fabrics and furnishings combining to create a decadent, moody feel. Also boasting a rooftop bar, The Emerald Peacock is great for glimpses of the city skyline.