ROLAND TIANGCO'S DIRT POSTER

Parsons student Roland Tiangco's message to the 'information generation' is a clear one; that is, if you're willing to get it dirty. We're full of potential and there's much to be done. Go ahead, get on it.

I should talk.

Point is, this design is clever on so many levels. 

click click

xo.s

WALLPAPER GRAD DIRECTORY 2010

Valentin Vodev, RCA, London

Robin Grasby, Northumbria University, UK

Norihiro Sueyoshi, Tama Art University, Tokyo

Niek Van Der Heijden, Design Academy Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Karoline Lagerqvist, Beckmans College of Art & Design, Stockholm

Johanna Hartzeim, Koln International Academy of Design, Germany

Joel Escalona, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Mexico

Jaebom Jeong, Hongik University, Seoul (love this)

Helena Karelson, Kingston University, London

Giannina Capitani, RCA, London

Edward Robinson, Northumbria University, UK

Delphine Frey, ECAL, Lausanne

Daniel Svahn, Beckmans College of Design, Sweden

Colin Kelly, Savannah College of Art & Design

Bjorn Jorund Bilkstad, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Norway

(This piece was chosen for the cover; a storage unit of axiometric cubes that look

shallow from a distance but reveal their depth as you approach)

Beatrice Durandard, ECAL, Lausanne

Bastian Bischoff and Per Emanuelsson, HDK, Gothenburg

(of Humans Since 1982)

Wallpaper always knows. Each year the magazine showcases their favourite pieces by graduates from some of the best schools all over the world, and I'm thrilled that this year's 'Design' category is showcasing an equal number of female students to their male counterparts. My graduating class had about 7 women in it total, out of nearly a hundred. Boys, don't go into ID if you're looking to pick up.....

But I digress.

Geometry, hand crafting, and allowing materials to rule seem to be the focus this year. I only chose my favourites of the favourites, so have a look at Wallpaper's site for the rest, as well as for grads chosen in Illustration, Fashion, Photography, Architecture and Graphics.

The future looks bright.

click click

xo.s

ps- if you follow regularly, you'll recognize the last piece: 'Clock Clock' by 'Humans Since 1982'!

EUNSUK HUR: NOMADIC WONDERLAND

SO beautiful.

Lots to do, so I'll quote:

"Eunsuk Hur is a textile designer who is looking to push the boundaries of fashion and interior design by exploring different materials and approaches leading to new textile futures. An interchangeable modular system of textile pieces can be transformed by the user to create a new piece of clothing or interior accessories which promote sustainable design"

She uses laser cutting and various printing processes, such as sublimation printing on wood, acid printing on wool felt, etching onto leather as well as handcraft techniques.

Hur graduated in 2009 from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design with a degree in MA Design for Textile Futures. 

Although she's not the first to experiment with this sort of modular fashion design, she's up there as far as I've seen with those who have done it successfully. Her work has real depth and such intricate BEAUTY. This process is going to be huge.

click click

xo.s

INNATE GESTURES

Something you should know about me is that I have a short attention span. I bloggered Cranbrook Academy of Art a few months back, with this 3d design collective of students in mind. To be more specific, they were the purpose of the post. And yet, somehow, I never got to them. Probably because it took a bit more work to get their images uploaded......

Anyway, they're on my mind again tonight and I thought I'd finally post. The truly relevant stuff is never long forgotten.

Innate Gestures is a collective of 13 3d design students at Cranbrook that took on a Masters studio with 2 'Master' designers; one of the school's designer-in-residences, Scott Klinker, and guest designer Leon Ransmeier. Small studios have been becoming increasingly significant in the design world over the last decade, often dreaming up 'products' (I hate using that term because the pieces are so much more....) that are far simpler, more beautiful and functional than those of much larger manufacturers. 

From their site:

"Our interactions with objects are informed not only by acquired knowledge and comparison, but also by nuanced physical relationships with the body. Innate Gestures strives to isolate and amplify the natural sensory cues that make everyday objects intuitive, pleasurable, and simple to interact with"

Brilliant.

From top:

The Innate Gestures Collective on the grounds at Cranbrook

The collection

Waste bin by Youngeun Lee

Coat Rack by Isaac Chen

Triad by Talha B. Khwaja

Symmetrican by Saebyul Lim

Bench #7 by Bob Turek

Magazine Hanger by Isaac Chen

click click

xo.s

CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART

'An American House '08', William Massie (created at Cranbrook and on a recent cover of DWELL)

The Grounds

I first touched on Cranbrook Academy of Art when I posted the work of Keetra Dean Dixon and have again been reminded of the brilliance coming out of that school after coming across the work of 'Innate Gestures', the alias of the school's student 3d design collective.  I'm going to post them more specifically next, but wanted to highlight some of the school's more recent creations.

Cranbrook is a Grad school located about 15 minutes outside of Detroit, MI, (in Bloomfield Hills) which means it's in my hood; I've been lucky enough to tour the school a number of times with my instructors at CCS. Admissions only accepts a limit of ten or so PER DEPARTMENT every year, which means the school has approximately 100 students at any given time.  Each grad is given their own studio space and work with artists in residence- rather than more traditional 'instructors'- to bring to life whatever is in them to create.

The work that I've seen come out of this school is exceptionally clever and remarkably simple, likely owing to the campus; students are required to live on the expansive grounds in 1930s arts and crafts cottage culture.  It's like an art retreat, secluded and surrounded by giant trees. You'd think that grad students in design would do their best work in the cultural centers of major cities, but Cranbrook kids are laid back bookish craftspeople that thrive on nature and wide open space.  Smart.

Ayami Watanabe, 'Bricks', 2005

Matt Monroe, 'Electric Orange Living Room', 2008. 

(I saw this one at last year's grad show; it's interactive and asks the participant to shovel cheetos out of the pail and onto a conveyor belt. The delicious snacks are then shredded and shot into the air inside the tiny living room, collecting inches to feet of orange dust on the droning television and small sofa)

Audrey Russel, 'Large Cat', 2005

Alumni? The Saarinens, Ray and Charles Eames, Florence Knoll, Jack Lenor Larson, Duane Hanson and Hani Rashid.

Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen

Eames chair created at Cranbrook

$igh. How I'd love to go to Grad school at Cranbrook Academy of Art.  Lottery first.

click click

xo.s