I like the feeling of making a unique limited edition one of a kind piece. Having said this out loud, I also feel like I am constantly pressured to make accessible, sustainably-considered projects. At the moment, I am in the midst of searching for what my priorities will be in my design practices. Will that include the idea of limited edition design? Does the pressure to be sustainable sometimes outweigh other ideas and design approaches I value? How can I decide which projects will unfold such that a consideration of limited edition design will be a negative direction, or perhaps an enhancing quality?
The approach taken by the Brazilian Campana Brothers transforms as into a dream the industrially made and boring vernacular objects that are all around us. For example, the brothers took their mother’s lawn chair and weaved a covering to add comfort and add to the rigidity to the chair. The weave also hides the over-processed bland design, transforming into something elegant. The designers are experimental, and this leads to work that is unique and thus only available in limited-edition quantity. It is about the time and creativity that it takes to make the piece. There is only one person that does it in the studio and he has free reign as to how he wants the design to come out. Indeed, time seems to be part of their conceptual approach to the design process. For example, the design is made by using strips of left over materials like felt and rubber, and then spiral the thin strips into a design is meticulous and I can only imagine how much time it must take. The brothers wanted the element of time is in the piece. But this aspect is important to me. Indeed I prefer the chair not just because I find it aesthetically pleasing but also conceptually I feel more of a connection.
Max Lamb is another designer exploring a limited edition practice. In his one-off handmade poly chair series, Max Lamb hacks away at foam and then drowns it in rubber. Here is where the element of exclusive fine art design escapes me and I feel like the designer is taking advantage of the consumer’s niche ideologies. In the right light, I guess that is enough to buy a piece of disfigured polyurethane.
Gamper Martino’s project of 100 chairs in 100 days is a better example of fine art design that I appreciate. His approach was to find the perfect chair. There is an honesty that I feel when I look at his pieces. I think this is only a layer in his idea but an essential part.
What do I consider myself? Am I a person creating and solving using limited production as a driving force behind my decisions? I am still an artist but I see that I have to try in order to pull myself back into what is defined here as “Fine art.” When I think about it I do not find that I have a clear distinction between Fine art and Design, but there is a feeling. So, I want to blend more of my fine art skills into my designs. I am constantly learning that there are compromises that have to be made regarding where I spend my time. There are so many problems to solve and it is such an important step to cross out considerations not to consider. At the same time it helps with focus and usually leads to interesting unique results. As a young designer, I am still experimenting with when and how to diverge, and when to bring it in, and converge on one design approach.
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