By Regina Connell.
Architects and interior designers are huge consumers and fans of craft: their creations rely extensively on the work of local metalsmiths, woodworkers, glassmakers, resin artists, upholsterers, textile makers, sculptors, ceramists and more. For many architects and designers, a building, restaurant, home or room just don’t happen without the work of artisans, craftspeople and makers.In fact, those artisans are often partners in the design process, often leading to some very happy “accidents.”
And yet, “craft” is so often seen, sold, and talked about as its own “thing”: an object, a collectable, a work of art, something out of context. And maybe that’s by design. But we don’t think it’s reality, or the way to extend the reach of craft and artisanal work.
Steven Miller's design for ACC. Image by Angie Cao Photography
So we were thrilled when the American Craft Council, for its August 2013 San Francisco show, decided to celebrate this reality and relationship. In “Make Room: Modern Design Meets Craft,” ACC brings together the work of nine of the best designers (some of our favorites) with some great artisans to give attendees a host of ideas on how to incorporate fine craft into their personal home décor.
The designers are: Lisa Bakamis, Lisa Bakamis Design, Mimi I. Chen, Three Legged Pig Design Lauren Geremia, Geremia Design, Nicole Hollis, Nicole Hollis Design, Steven Miller, The NWBLK, E.B. Min and Jeffrey L. Day, Min | Day Melina Raissnia, Peace Industry, Nicole Socia, Socia Design. (See our archive profiles on the brilliant Lauren Geremia here, dynamic NWBLK and Steven here, and the smart and talented Melina and Peace Industry, here.)
Design by Lauren Geremia. Image by Angie Cao Photography
The ACC show members participating in the Make Room for show include: Gerald Arrington, Eric Freyer, Eileen Goldenberg, Elizabeth Lundburg, Kris Marabayashi, Lilith Rockett, Monica Rudquist, Michael Scarborough, and David Whippen.
So how did these collaborations work out?
Quite well, it seems. For some, like Lauren Geremia, who’s known for her work with the craft and artisanal communities, it was like old home week. “I’m so glad to be able to work with these craftspeople and artisans in this context. This is something I felt was important to do because I think that craft is so important, and because there is so much talent out there.”
The talent Geremia worked with was Elizabeth Lundburg, a wood artist based in Benicia, California. “I often work with such flamboyant, technological design and juxtaposing it with wood–one of the most traditional forms of craft–weights it and gives it substance and meaning.”
Sea Life by Elizabeth Lundburg
Nicole Hollis, also known for her lush, edgy, curatorial approach to design, finds that craft adds a richness to her designs. “The luxury interiors we do are custom and involve pieces that are made by hand. But our clients would not be drawn to these spaces unless the work reflected a sense of history and authenticity. That’s why it’s so important to partner with material experts. Materials play such a big part in our work–I love raw wood finishes, metal, stone and other natural materials.”
Ceramics by Lilith Rockett
Portland-based ceramist Lilith Rockett who worked with Yedda Morrison, the studio’s Artistic Director, thoroughly enjoyed the collaboration, much of which has taken place via email and phone calls. “It’s been incredibly casual and there’s been great mutual trust and understanding. It was also really great to see her creative process. It’s always so fascinating.”
Array: Encaustic Art by Eileen P Goldenberg
Eileen Goldenberg, a San Francisco-based encaustic artist, had a more hands-on working experience with Steven Miller of The NWBLK. “Steven was great to work with. He came to my studio and got to choose from a range of my work. I gave him a couple of reference pieces that he could take back and work with to check color and texture. Then I went to The NWBLK to see the room, which was just amazing how he pulled things together. It’s so inspiring to see your work in context.” (Lucky Steven also got to work with David Whippen’s glorious cube.)
Metal cube by David Whippen
EB Min of Min/Day took a different tack. “Many of our clients are collectors, and we know that we need to incorporate both the current and future collections into our designs. For example, we have a client who’s a collector, and we can see the pleasure she takes in being able to curate her collection. For many collectors, their collections aren’t static things: they want to be able to combine and re-combine them in different ways. So our approach for this was to design a way for people to both curate and display what they have. We ended up designing and prototyping this stackable, endlessly reconfigurable display unit. We thought this was a really interesting way to treat bringing craft into life.”
Min/Day’s display unit will feature the work of Kris Marubayashi a talented ceramist. “We were taken by the contrasts in her work, the rough and the smooth. We liked the perfection of the overall form with the imperfection and roughness in that. A lot of our work is like that too…simple forms with material texture.”
To find out how these and other collaborations turned out (since several are still being developed as I write this), show up at the ACC show. You might even go home more inspired than usual.
Details
The American Craft Council show runs August 2-4, at Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA.
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