Category: Design

Irving Harper: Works in PaperMarch 24

Irving Harper: Works in Paper sculpture paper books animals

Irving Harper: Works In Paper is a new book from Skira Rizzoli that collects the paper works of industrial designer Irving Harper. Harper worked as the director of design at George Nelson Associates during the 1960s and is known for designing the Marshmallow Sofa for Herman Miller (as well as the firms’ iconic logo) and the ball and sunburst clocks for Howard Miller. Privately the designer was also an artist and created numerous paper sculptures depicting animals, masks, and other figures. Via Rizzoli:

Encompassing influences as diverse as Picasso, Egyptian hieroglyphs, the art of Oceana and Africa, the architecture of Paris, and the American beech tree that shades the Rye, New York home he has lived in for over 50 years, the artist’s private meditations reveal an informed aesthetic consciousness expressing itself as pure joy. Harper’s private work delivers on the promise of modernism: humble materials elevated by brilliant design and craftsmanship, and integrating the natural world to create objects in a universally understood language.

You can pick up the book on Amazon or directly from Rizzoli. All images courtesy Skira Rizzoli. (via grain edit)

Seven Incredible Marble Machines by Paul GrundbacherMarch 18

Seven Incredible Marble Machines by Paul Grundbacher wood toys marbles kinetic sculpture

Swiss designer and artist Paul Grundbacher makes incredible hand-cranked marble machines that he wrote about and filmed for Matthias Wandel’s Woodgears just this weekend. Grundbacher told Woodgears that he works mostly with firewood from a local factory and that he rarely sketches anything beforehand but has the ability to fashion each piece and try it as opposed to carefully measuring things out through any sort of blueprint. All the work here spans 2009-2012 and each piece is a mixture of his own ideas and tricks learned from watching videos of other artists creating similar wooden devices. You can read more about his inspiration and methodology behind each piece right here. (via mefi)

Good Vibrations: An Intricately Carved Cabinet Looks Like a Digital Glitch [Updated: It's a 3D Rendering of an Upcoming Piece]March 14

Good Vibrations: An Intricately Carved Cabinet Looks Like a Digital Glitch [Updated: Its a 3D Rendering of an Upcoming Piece] wood furniture

Don’t adjust your web browser, this isn’t a corrupted photograph of a fine piece of Italian furniture (although it may unfortunately be a digital rending, read below). In actuality this cabinet was created by architect Ferruccio Laviani to look just as you see it, like a wavy digital glitch. Titled the Good Vibrations Storage Unit the piece will first appear at Italy’s annual interior show Fratelli Boffi. I’d love to see it from a few different angles, but incredible nonetheless. (via mocoloco)

Update: There has been a healthy amount of skepticism whether or not this is the real deal or a 3D rendering. Having not stood in front of the piece myself I guess we can only defer to the design firm and hope more images of the piece are released soon. One person wrote in to point out that there may be evidence in the photo itself of a repeating pattern which would be the telltale mark of a digitally rendered image. More if I find out.

Update: According to Studio Laviani the image is a rendering, however a final piece of furniture is supposed to be on display in April, so stay tuned.

Paper Landscape Illustrated by Eiko OjalaMarch 13

Paper Landscape Illustrated by Eiko Ojala paper landscapes illustration

It’s hard to visit an art or design blog these days without spotting the illustration work of Estonian artist Eiko Ojala, his Naked series is a great place to get started. The artist works digitally without the aid of 3D software where he draws everything by hand to create landscapes, figures and portraits that look as if they’ve been cut from paper. Most critical are the placement of shadows which Ojala also draws by hand, though via email he admits the complexity occasionally requires the use of photographed shadows which he then incorporates into the illustrations. His latest work is this beautiful Vertical Landscape which is easily one of his most accomplished pieces and I think bodes well for this young illustrator’s career. Wouldn’t you love to see this in motion? (via behance)

It’s Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of PaperMarch 7

Its Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper sculpture realism paper furniture
Bergère / 2012 / Various papers / 26 x 26 x 36 in.

Its Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper sculpture realism paper furniture
Shirt & Tie / 2010 / Mulberry and various other papers / 23 x 30 x 4 in.

Its Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper sculpture realism paper furniture
Wallet / 2011 / Paper, nylon thread / 4 x 3 x 0.5 in.

Its Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper sculpture realism paper furniture
Paper Museum Bench / 2013

Its Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper sculpture realism paper furniture
Americana, paper jeans / 2011 / Paper, canvas, silk and nylon thread / 15 x 9 x 11 in.

Its Not What You Think, Every Single One of these Objects is Made of Paper sculpture realism paper furniture
Paper Eames Chair LCW / 2012 / Various papers, hand painted / 22 x 23 x 28 in.

A dusty old chair, a wrinkled pair of jean shorts, or the classic shape of a wooden Eames chair, common items you might encounter every day without giving them a second thought. But try to sit on that worn Corbusier bench or wear that pressed white shirt and you might be shocked as they tear or disintegrate before your very eyes because, amazingly, they are made almost completely with paper by Los Angeles-based artist Vincent Tomczyk. Via his artist statement:

My art centers on objects to stimulate visceral connections. These compositions represent biographies of people, experiences and interpretations of intangible ideas. Although my work can be categorized as realism, my intention is to distill the emotion of an object, then through expression, reconstruct it into my view of its essential self – free of function. [...] As an artist working primarily with paper, my art requires me to be part craftsman and part engineer. I learned a lot about how to construct things by working at my father’s side, in his workshop. I’m compelled to produce work that is visually poetic by using a medium that defies perceived limitations.

Tomczyk tells me that he doesn’t do much sketching before he embarks on each artwork, but spends his time formulating ideas in his head and developing a list of needed materials and measurements. The objects are carefully crafted by hand, all of the colors you see are hand-painted and he never relies on any sort of digital printing. Translation: these take a lot of time. The jean shorts alone with functional pockets and realistic textures took over 100 hours.

If you want to see more, Tomczyk has a solo show opening May 4th, 2013 at Gallery 825 in LA and you can also see many more of his paper works on his website. If you enjoy this kind of realism, also check out Randall Rosenthall’s wood carvings. (via colossal submissions, thnx shane)

The Port Vieux Pavilion: A Mirrored Canopy Constructed on a French WharfMarch 5

The Port Vieux Pavilion: A Mirrored Canopy Constructed on a French Wharf mirrors France architecture

Recently unveiled in Marseille, France this giant mirrored canopy called the Port Vieux Pavilion was designed by architecture firm Foster + Partners. The pavilion measures nearly 150 feet (46 meters) long and is made of highly polished stainless steel meant to reflect people and the surrounding environment of Marseille’s World Heritage-listed harbor. The project is somewhat analogous to Anish Kapoor’s Cloud Gate here in Chicago and based on these photos I have no doubt the canopy will be a huge draw for tourists and locals alike. (via designboom)

Seb Lester Demonstrates Medieval Blackletter CaligraphyFebruary 26

Seb Lester Demonstrates Medieval Blackletter Caligraphy typography caligraphy

In this brief video graphic designer and illustrator Seb Lester demonstrates a form of Medieval blackletter typography that was used commonly in Europe from 1150 to around the 17th century. From a person whose handwriting is almost completely illegible, almost every stroke of his pen looks like a complete miracle. (via vimeo)

DIY Foldable Paper Animal Lights by MostLikelyFebruary 25

DIY Foldable Paper Animal Lights by MostLikely sculpture lighting animals

The folks over at the Vienna-based mostlikelyShop have a great collection of DIY foldable paper lampshade kits. Each lampshade template arrives rolled in a tube and includes info on how to fold, glue and assemble the light, however you’ll have to supply your own stand/bulb socket/glue. Once you’ve assembled a few lamps maybe it’s time to tackle the epic $20k Basilisk paper sculpture? Check ‘em out.

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