There are two products which, as a child, inspired me to want to become a product designer. Firstly there was the Alessi Aldo Rossi kettle that was given to my family as a gift, and then there was the long row of classic chairs on the top floor of the design museum. I remember running up and down ‘chair alley’, assessing quality and comfort, style and colour.
OKAYstudio at ARAM
110 Drury Lane, London
18 September - 8 November
If variety is the spice of life, then the nine designers from seven countries who form the loose London collective OKAYstudio have combined to offer a welcome dash of diverse design with their *Under the Same Roof* exhibit at the ARAM Gallery.
At their simplest, books are bound pages of Times New Roman drivel, at their most elaborate, they are rich creative explorations at the heart of the graphic medium. In the main, authors get paid a pittance writing them and graphic designers over-indulge their time creating them. What for? Well, for the love of books.
On a warm summer's day, we headed to Sudeley Castle in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire to see the sculptures and installations on display as part of the 'Reconstruction #3, Artists' Playground' exhibition.
Just five years ago, Jaime Hayon was known only to those who had come into contact with the vivacious character during his time working at Fabrica – Benetton’s research centre in Treviso, Italy.
The prospect of sinking several million into the purchase of a home may be beyond the reach of most but for those that can afford such a flourish, attention must also be focused on the trimmings - from your car, to your clothes, to your coffee table and chairs.
“What’s the difference between art and design?” is a popular question — “What’s the difference between design and craft?” less so. But this all might change as William Morris’ declaration, ‘Turn our artists into craftsmen and our craftsmen into artists!’ is fast becoming a popular movement in the design world today.
It is true that as human beings we share a number of unconscious gestures in our relationship with objects. They are instinctive behaviours in which our mind does not participate in an active way, a no man's land that happens before, or independently of, the act of will.
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