Moooi

Lots of things on the Moooi site, some very good some not so, but the Brave New World lamp stands out for its 'Boys Own' fun. I am not suggesting there was not an initial idea, but the is 'make it up as you go along' feeling is really prevalent. Meccano-esque, Heath Robinson type primitiveness. I like it!

East London Goodness

Two good East London furniture shops; Fandango for all things retro and Tye & Co. for more contemporary objects. Not great/very little web presence so i recommend a free Saturday afternoon and a bike! You could even check out some exhibitions on Vyner Street on the way round.

Richard Shed

My penchant for objects with three elements led me to Richard Shed's recent commission for the Shoreditch Trust. Its quite sensitive for a commercial commission, playful and light, which is very on point for the work of the trust. Also, although his Mr Moon shelf has been around for a few years now, its always worth a look.

Carpenters Workshop Gallery

Design Art and Functional Sculpture are frankly very awkward classifications and i find lots of the work in the Carpenters Gallery Workshop exactly that, a bit awkward. Its all about the surface (finish). I am totally into the idea of editions of furniture, i like to change my products slightly as i receive feedback (and live with them myself) and this eliminates the impersonal, static process of mass production. Surely though, the concept of editions should be about learning, being better, and not primarily concerned with notions of exclusivity or collectability.
All that said, i think Marc Quinn's marble series is quite brilliant! His understanding and relationship, of and with the material is seriously accomplished and successful.

Wood London

Bethan Wood has taken over from me (as the laminate/plywood/sculpture/asymmetry obsessive type) in the London workshop as i am now part time and setting things up in Cornwall. The work is varied but i like the laminated objects; its precise, painstaking stuff, that she totally believes in, and trusts. Using old Formica samples and sheets, then laser cutting patterns and using marquetry techniques, creating really interesting landscapes. It has to been seen in the flesh to get the full affect, but the pattern above is not simply a print, it is made up of hundreds of different bits of laminate. Currently a designer in residence at the Design Museum to boot, so you can check it out if you go and see the Dieter Rams exhibition, (which finishes 9th March btw).

Rocket Gallery

Just been given the upcoming show info for the the Rocket Gallery:

Trio

Herbert Krenchel | Hans Wegner | Ib Geertsen

5 March to 24 April 2010

An exhibition of art and design from three legends of mid-century Danish modernism:
1950s Krenit bowls by Herbert Krenchel; the Getama Daybeds by Hans Wegner;
and Danish Konkrete paintings by Ib Geertsen

Wrought Iron

The choice of materials when designing can be a slow and sometimes arduous task. Much maligned in the design world, wrought Iron is normally associated with a more craft or folk approach to furniture, but the thin section used here allow for a very light result. I have no idea why, but i am drawn to objects which have three distinct elements, interacting with one another, and the Iron, ash and upholstery in these 1950's chairs works for me. Really nicely balanced, with a good stance, big, and yet delicate, they have good presence and personality.