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Industrial Landscapes by Josef Schulz

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

German photographer Josef Schulz makes the austere and industrial into beautiful works of photographic art. With a passion for images that depict long forgotten and rarely admired landscapes, Schulz has a talent for making these everyday scenes into one of wonder. Check out more of his portfolio here.

Shigeru Ban for Artek

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 20, 2009

Composed from recycled plastic and paper, Shigeru Ban's new furniture system for Artek is a perfect proposal for the minimal and sustainably conscious Finnish company. Ban, a Japanese architect, has created a modular system using L-shaped modules that can be joined together to create all manor of pieces.

The inspiring work of Ryuji Nakamura

Claire Sullivan - Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Japanese architect Ryuji Nakamura creates the most beautiful visions in white. The above installation titled Blossom is a series of stainless steel petals attached to the walls of a private dining room at a wedding venue in Japan. Simply divine.

The architect describes the Kuma Teddy Bear's purpose is to heal. One would imagine that creating this piece by hand using paper would require some healing of the mind once completed.

Both of the above chairs are also made from paper. I can't tell you if you can actually sit on either of these, but who cares they are so beautiful it doesn't matter.

The Aurora was designed as a private vip room within Japanese restaurant Matsumoto Nagano. For this installation Nakamura uses fabric draping techniques to create the effect of honeycomb on the ceiling. I adore all of the work by this young and talented architect. To learn more visit his website at www.ryujinakamura.com

EggO House by A69 Architects

Claire Sullivan - Tuesday, April 14, 2009

This recently completed house located in Prague is not what you expect to find in such a historical city. Designed around an enclosed central courtyard the home offers the owners complete privacy from the surrounding neighbourhood. Despite the buildings contemporary nature the architects have succeeded in producing a dwelling that fits subtly into the landscape. www.a69.cz

Photography by Shinichi Maruyama

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 13, 2009

Ok so it's getting pretty obvious that I am obsessed with the Japanese aesthetic. I am continually impressed by the work that Japanese artists and designers create. Their simplicity of form is something that immediately appeals to me. I am also a huge fan of photography as an art form, so it's no surprise that when I came across New York based photographer Shinichi Maruyama I was blown away. Maruyama draws inspiration from his youth when he often wrote Chinese characters using sumi ink. Once the brush touches the paper the character must be finished in one stroke, there is only one chance to get it right. Using similar brush stroke techniques Maruyama hurls black India ink into water and photographs the millisecond that these two liquids collide. Capable of capturing this phenomenon at a 7,500th of a second, Maruyama takes full advantage of a recent advancement in strobe light technology which can record physical events faster than the naked eye can perceive them. In the above series Kusho, which means “writing in the sky,” Maruyama’s goal is to arrest in space and time the sublime intersection of two different media before they merge into one. Simply stunning.

See more of ShinichiMaruyama's work here.

Martin the Mule

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 13, 2009

Martin The Mule is a new workstation concept from French design studio i-bride. One of my favourite adjectives seems more appropriate here - Moose, which I tend to use when describing something a oppressive . In saying that however I can imagine that Martin could find himself welcome lodgings in a children's room. Martin's design allows for storage of books and papers on the various shelves on his body, while the reins are actually cunningly disguised wires and cables.

www.ibride.fr

Ron Arad's reinventions

Claire Sullivan - Monday, April 13, 2009

Israel born Ron Arad's masterful reinterpretation of the chair continues with his new exhibition at the Timothy Taylor Gallery in London. The Thumbprint chair above is comprised of multiple bronze and stainless steel rods that produce a jewel-like shimmer as the light shifts, revealing subtle gradations of colour. Visit www.timothytaylorgallery.com to view other works from this exhibition.

Doodles

Claire Sullivan - Sunday, April 12, 2009

Some of the best creative ideas start out on napkins, so why not start your innovation with accuracy! www.colindowd.com

Daniel Loves Objects

Claire Sullivan - Saturday, April 11, 2009

Singapore based designer Daniel Loves Objects has created a thoughtful series of works titled WARS & WITS & POWER. Referencing a certain country who's not taken kindly to being told to disarm their missile test launch programs, the series features a bookcase with a strategic golden army placed underneath, upholding and protecting the countries plans for dominance. Visually this is outstanding work, made more impressive by its strong cultural statement.

To see more of Daniel Loves Objects work, view his portfolio here.

Reinterpreting Zanotta

Claire Sullivan - Saturday, April 11, 2009

International research laboratory Fabrica will present their exhibition Trans-forma at the Milan Fair. The exhibition will showcase the outcomes when Fabrica's young designers have the opportunity to reinterpret classic Zanotta pieces. 17 of Zanotta's designs will be given a new twist in the exhibition, the classic Zanotta coat stand (above) originally designed in 1973 has been updated to provide a number of useful tools for gardening.

Zanotta is available locally at Studio Italia. www.studioitalia.co.nz

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