thegreatadventure2015 decoration

a conversation with Jason Koharik

.. "Making the lamps are to me making a sculpture. I cannot "mass produce" them, nor do I want to." "So much of what I do I feel is collecting. Even the way I learn to do it, (it) is a collection of mistakes and breakthroughs." <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6827702593_1ed33e91d0_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6827702593_1ed33e91d0_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 595px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6827703357_8a289c5c34_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6827703357_8a289c5c34_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 533px;" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;">(photography by <a href="http://ermieblog.blogspot.com/">Jennifer Parry Dodge.</a>) </div> I feel lucky to have crossed paths with Jason Koharik. About a month or so ago, Jason invited me to his L.A. studio in Echo Park, which is a garage space that opens up to neighborhood street. Over the next few hours, we talked about furniture (Neoclassical to French Modernism) , his interior design clients, his background in film and painting, and the recent line of lamps he is producing for Lawson-Fenning. (All the while, neighbors walking by, casually stopping to say hello, as they made their way down the sloped street.) His line of lamps is called, <a href="http://www.collectedby.com/">Collected </a> because "so much of what I do, I feel is collecting." In person, Jason's lamps radiate, with insect lines, soft-bent metal curves that are made with the hand, not the machine. He explained how he makes these works with his hands in his studio. Using heat, and relying on his strength, he is able to achieve graceful curves. His lamps have an ease, and fluidity, that can not be made from a machine. Slight imperfections tell a different story than mass produced objects. Authenticity is an often over-used word, but hardly in this case. Jason's dedication to authenticity is carried to the interiors he has designed for clients. Last week, I returned to Jason's studio. The sun set slowly into the hills of Echo Park, shadows bouncing and frolicking, the forms of his lamps suddenly taking over. Pure magic, a "new nouveau" as Jason might say. Indeed, a gorgeous way to light a room. - David John <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6827702593_1ed33e91d0_b.jpg"></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6827703357_8a289c5c34_b.jpg"></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6827702255_5092298668_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6827702255_5092298668_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 556px;" /></a> How long have you been making lamps? I have been making lighting for about 15 years. Often out of something found, some object that I might cover in leather or gold leafing . Or an attempt to recreate something I could otherwise not afford. For this series, I started designing on paper and molding metal scraps into lamp shields in 2006. I then started prototypes that evolved into examples I showed Glenn and Grant at Lawson Fenning. This led me to a production of 60 finished lamps of about 10-12 different designs. I am still slowly adding to the collection,and its evolving. Right now I am almost finished with two new floor lamp designs and two different wall sconces, and perhaps another desk lamp? They are each unique in their own way. They show signs of the age or history in the material I choose to use, such as the hammer marks from the bending process, that are heated and pounded on an anvil. I tend to use a "use what you have" mentality in most things I create. For example: If I have only four 1/2 inch screws and one doesn't match, I will use it. Otherwise it ends up sitting in a box with with a bunch of others and it provides something unique to the creation. I don't like to waste materials. Today, reclaiming materials couldn't be more important, and I think a lot of people are beginning to see this. Plus, the quality of materials from the past is better. Things made of steel, brass and wood from trees that just don't grow anymore. As a culture we have wasted enough. It is time to reuse and re-purpose what we already have. I go thru all sorts of self doubt in my head.. Where I tell my self I'm just making more junk for people . That "making stuff" is part of a bigger problem. But then I come back to the center, finding pride in what I am doing, which is creating. And hopefully its art. Not just a thing some guy stumbles over in a salvage yard and says" I could make a lamp out of this." <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6827700943_561c284ea6_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6827700943_561c284ea6_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 702px; height: 638px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6827701383_4ae5a31668_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6827701383_4ae5a31668_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 561px;" /></a> "New Nouveau" I love this term. What does "New Nouveau" mean to you? Art Nouveau. It really was a time of beauty, A reflection of nature and its forms. I really see the fluid beauty of the art nouveau period play well into a modern environment. There are always trends in design, modern, mid-century modern, Danish, California, Regency, Industrial. I am always inspired, collecting and finding interests in different periods and pieces. There has been a trend towards almost a depression era feeling for some time. Americana, broken, utilitarian. And its inspiring to me. It really is a sign of our times. You see it in every aspect of design. "New Nouveau" the new new. It is a response to this trend. Something growing out of it maybe. There was a time when some one said "new art, Art Nouveau", and it described something pretty, flowing, and up lifting, it was painterly, gestural, and spontaneous. I guess I have just been thinking about those types of things when I am working. And trying to find that spirit. A new nouveau. <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6864345101_a24c4e6804_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7181/6864345101_a24c4e6804_b.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 600px; height: 900px;" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"> "The Green lamp on my web site is the remainder of a lamp my father built throughout my childhood, till he passed. " - Jason </div> In addition to creating exquisite, handcrafted sculptural lighting, you paint, work on interiors for your clients, and do custom furniture. How long have you been creating works and art? I really have been doing this all my life. Or at least learning. My father, he was a craftsman in that he could build or fix anything. I remember the things he made for my brother and I, and the things we made with him: small motors hooked to lights and switches, wheels and pulleys, working cannons and smoking pipes, boats we sank, and planes that flew only once. They were all painted with nail polish and oil paint, adorned with bobbers and pieces of metal and glass we found on "junk walks". We took these walks often. Collecting. I learned so much from him. He passed away last year. One of our final conversations over the phone, as I worked on my lamp series ,was a lesson on wiring a two-way switch. Most of this conversation took place with a flash light as I maneuvered my way to a fuse box to reset them. He never got to see the lamps he helped me work so hard on. The Green lamp on my web site is the remainder of a lamp he built throughout my childhood, till he passed. Always changing, painting, adding chains and stones, carvings and cigarette burns. It is my favorite lamp that I helped build. Did you go to art school, or are you self taught? I did have a great high school art teacher, Mr Bush. He was very encouraging. And I did attend art school at Kent State University Ohio for 2 -ish years where I studied painting/sculpture. Furniture and Interiors have always been a passion but really opened up to me in the commercial film world. I was involved in some way, production assistant,c ostumer, art department, for about 14 years total. All the while, I was continuing to meet people that were interested in design. I would find them some rare or interesting piece, and in many cases, that led me to their homes where I began dressing them, and custom building/designing pieces for them. I do enjoy putting a room together. Finding balance both visually and with their life style and interests. I also get to turn people on to things they would otherwise never consider or designers they are not really aware of. I am, I suppose, self taught on much of what I do, (metal working, weaving, leather work, sewing, electrical, wood working), mostly out of necessity. I don't know how else to get it done. So I mess up 5 times or so before I get it right! I learn so much this way. You just have to keep trying, which is really hard sometimes. I have found mentors along the way. I met a master wood worker, an artist really. I evolve every time I visit his shop or we work on a design together. An upholsterer I can only describe as an angel. Not only because of the quality of his work, but mostly for his appreciation of life. Creating and learning new ways to create is something I am very passionate for. Authenticity. It's a word we discussed when we met at your studio. Why is authenticity important to you? Authentic.That is one of my favorite words. You can see it in an object when something truly is. And you can hear it in a voice when some one speaks from their heart. I gravitate towards that. And aspire to always be. French modernists that have inspired your work? Jean Royere worked with so many different materials and ,while keeping a very modern feel, and still creating a sense of luxury. Royere, Prouve, Mouille and especially Jacques Adnet (I think a twin) all are very inspirational for me. He was a leather worker! <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6864506939_9f05a2a647_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6864506939_9f05a2a647_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 703px; height: 941px;" /></a> "the target series." 2011 <a href="http://youhavebeenheresometime.blogspot.com/2011/02/i-appreciate-craftsmanship-of-these.html">read more about this series here...</a> </div> The Target painting series. How did these come about? I loved the idea of an old archery target as an object, a painting on a wall. I hunted one with no luck. So I made one. I looked for old rounds, wood spools, table tops and wine barrel lids. I was surprised by how many were discarded on the side of the road. (Thank you Alessandro and Riverside drives, streets in Los Angeles) Glenn and Grant at <a href="http://www.lawsonfenning.com/" style="color: rgb(51, 0, 0);">Lawson-Fenning</a> saw the one in my house, in a photo, and they offered a wall in their store. I am very thankful to them both for seeing in them what I saw, a painting that is accessible, that can be an anomaly in an interior, or something that just looks good above a couch or a crib. And again it is my attempt to do something with the things we set aside or discard. Not garbage art. I don't feel they come off that way. Just potential. You mentioned you do not text. In this modern world, with constant communication and noise, do you feel with less technology you are ablr to achieve more in your studio? Ahh. Yes, Although, I do have a phone. Its a phone. It flips to open. Its not smart. So I am confident I am smarter then it. I rarely use it. I don't text. I never sent or received one. Its not that I am contemptuous of the whole device or idea or technology or anything like that. I just let it pass me by. I am right at that age, 35 ,when the internet just kinda started in my youth. Maybe there was a computer lab in high school to teach us a bit about it, but I just passed it by. I don't have a face book or twitter. Again no contempt. I just simply have no passion to learn it and therefore I really don't know how to use it or what it is. I do recognize it is changing the world. For better or worse. I do think my memory is good though, because I don't program phone #s or dates. I just do what we used to do way back in the 1990s and I remember it. As far as the noise or communication I just don't let it effect me.And I don't feel isolated because of it. My studio opens up to my street. Ten or so people, neighbors, stop by to talk every day. We talk and listen. I should open a bar down there! Can you talk about the process of making these lamps? Bending the metal? These lamps are an attempt to create something I can continue to create. They are my version of a production piece, made by one person, myself. While the materials may change a bit, the shapes and silhouettes will be consistent. There are a variety of lamps, (wall sconce,chandelier,floor,desk,table) but they feel as if they belong together. I am always adding to the collection. They do take time as all of the shapes are made by hand. I create forms based off the things I have available around me. Some of the turns and curves are based directly off the shapes of my anvil. The brass brackets took many attempts. The bending and shaping is difficult and time consuming . But I am happy with the result. I do try to make a conscience effort to reuse materials. Much of the tube steel and plate brass is reclaimed from salvage yards. Often I will reuse weights or bases off lighting I find discarded. And of course the hardware is mostly purchased new. I am always trying to find new ways to be more conscience of the effects of how I make things. I do my best to not use plastics. Although I am not fully there yet. How I paint or plate or the chemicals I use,these are all things I think about. Making the lamps are to me making a sculpture. I cannot "mass produce" them nor do I want to. The people attracted to them I hope will feel as if they are buying something no one else will have. 2 things I would never guess to ask about you? I spent many hours of my late teenage days in a pool hall. Before I moved to California, while avoiding college I suppose, I played pool, for money, supplemented by income from my brother's real job...Subway/Office Max... He would give me cash, and I would turn it into more cash. I saved enough money "hustling" and winning amateur tournaments, that I was able to pack up and move to Los Angeles California. Since then, I have not really played. And, number 2. I prefer sunrises.... <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6827701765_de577e5b2d_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6827701765_de577e5b2d_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 609px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6827702861_096015ec2e_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6827702861_096015ec2e_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 535px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6827716587_0c630f936c_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6827716587_0c630f936c_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 467px;" /></a> Prototypes and lamp studies line the walls of Jason Koharik's Los Angeles studio </div> What does "Collected by" refer to? So much of what I do I feel is collecting. Even the way I learn to do it is a collection of mistakes and break-throughs. Most of my works, paintings, sculptures, are made from materials that have taken 10 -15 years to collect. Examples being: Paintings made from hundreds of used paint stir sticks creating large linear color fields. I have collected what seems like miles of lost or acquired steel and cloth tape measures to weave large canvas inch by inch. Working in the commercial film business, I collected 1000's of pieces of "camera/gaffers tape" to create a full scale Arri 2c camera body complete with lens and matte box. Collected by also refers to my love of "hunting". I have a collection of furniture, lighting, designer, rare discoveries, and things that inspire me. Some I reupholster, some I re-purpose. Some are so far gone I turn them into something new. I also collect old scrap leather, a material I am very fond of. I reuse this (hand stitched) on old bent metal chairs to give them a new life. I love to collect the unusual. The pieces passed by because they no longer have a place. Some of them are just better used as something else. Potential energy. It only becomes trash, filling some dump, if we do not recognize its potential. All the things I do or make are part of my collection. Its away for me to archive my growth and interests. <a href="http://www.collectedby.com/"> Collected by Jason Koharik here.</a> Jason Koharik's lamps are sold exclusively at <a href="http://www.lawsonfenning.com/">Lawson-Fenning, Los Angeles</a> Photography by <a href="http://ermieblog.blogspot.com/">Jennifer Parry Dodge , visit her site here.</a> -----------------

a conversation with Jason Koharik

.. "Making the lamps are to me making a sculpture. I cannot "mass produce" them, nor do I want to. " "So much of w...

9:22 AM

"the series examines American regionalism as a major influence on art of the early 1970s. " - Ned Smyth <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6852291561_1fb7879efc_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6852291561_1fb7879efc_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 511px;" /></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6852291339_9869a97e9a_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7183/6852291339_9869a97e9a_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 465px;" /></a> "These stone objects embodied the weight, longevity, and commitment to the ultimate." Ned Smyth "American Responses: Reverence" 16 February - 17 March 2012 "Even before the development of postmodern architecture, Ned Smyth was citing past structural periods and details. He concluded from his long exposure to archeological sites, temples, cathedrals, and museums that man used stone to instill a definitive sensibility to valuable buildings and objects. These stone objects embodied the weight, longevity, and commitment to the ultimate. Ned Smyth's early work evolved from the minimalist tradition. He began by making concrete 2x4s in various lengths and arranging them to create architectonic spaces within the gallery. Because of the nature of his work, Smyth's career progressed into landing site-specific public commissions for cities and corporations. He became a forerunner in the development of public art in the US. Recently, Smyth's body of work has expanded to include a more organic vocabulary. Moving away from historical references to Judeo-Christian culture and instead of casting architectural forms, he uses natural rock forms to create primal spaces and objects. go to <a href="http://salomoncontemporary.com/">Salomon Contemporary</a> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6852313813_9897cea79f_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7049/6852313813_9897cea79f_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 535px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6852309373_f09c66a80d_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6852309373_f09c66a80d_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 912px;" /></a> the last supper by Ned Smyth </div> <a href="http://www.nedsmyth.com/">Ned Smyth</a> here. -------------- ----------------

"the series examines American regionalism as a major influence on art of the early 1970s. " - Ned Smyth "These stone objects...

9:14 AM

a conversation with Atelier Areti

.... Beauty touches us, it speaks to us on an emotional level. We are attracted to beauty... Being sensitive to beauty awakens in us emotions that are important. Someone who never engages in the contemplation and understanding of beauty is missing an area of human perception and emotion. But maybe most important, what is moving about beauty is that it is a strong means of communication. - Atelier Areti <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6836616561_df8f34cd7e_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6836616561_df8f34cd7e_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 465px;" /></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6836617085_0c85576b38_b.jpg"></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6836616561_df8f34cd7e_b.jpg"></a> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6836583065_49f8025388_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6836583065_49f8025388_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 479px;" /></a> the glassblowers workshop in Sweden... </div> Atelier Areti's work speaks for itself. Still, I'm honored to have had such a wonderful conversation with them regarding their history, and their perspective on art, beauty, and craft/design. As an interior designer myself, I am always attempting to balance beauty, function, and design in a room, in an effortless manner. Where one ends, one begins, and overlaps until there is no trace left. Design should be effortless, timeless, emotional. This is the challenge, correct? Design should comfort us, and art should confront us? Questions that seem to float, and fade. Atelier Areti capture my thoughts perfectly regarding this balance: "a beautiful product to us is a product that also has to be useful and well made. It has to be a simple and elegant solution." A sincere thank you to <a href="http://www.atelierareti.com/index.php">Atelier Areti</a> - David John <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6836615333_def309d997_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6836615333_def309d997_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 463px;" /></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6836615795_6fa371b284_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6836615795_6fa371b284_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 1057px;" /></a> An interview with sisters: Guillane and Gwendolyn Kerschbaumer How did you arrive at the name Atelier Areti? ‘Areti’ means virtue and excellence in Greek. We choose the name because to us design should aspire to be excellent, and excellent design has an ethical component. We are not interested in creating short lived products whose existence is based on short fashion cycles of our consumer society. While design is of course less important than other areas of our lives, there is still no reason for bad design to exist. Every object that our society produces by default has been designed, and it might as well be "well designed." ‘Areti’ was thus chosen as a leading theme for our work. We started out being 4 people who knew each other from school and worked on Areti on the side next to our regular jobs. What were you doing before starting this business? After 2 years, Guillane and I decided to pursue it further; as our last name suggests, we are sisters. Guillane’s background is art, product design and interior design. She studied art in an atelier and history of art at the Sorbonne in Paris, and later product design at Central St.Martins. She was chosen to be exhibited at <a href="http://www.100percentdesign.co.uk/page.cfm/Link=381/t=m/goSection=92">100% Futures</a> and she was there approached by an interior designer for whom she worked for several years. She thus by accident one could say, stumbled into interior design. I received a Bachelor in visual arts from Duke University and then moved on to study architecture at Harvard. I worked in a number of offices, among them Peter Eisenman in NY, MVRDV in Rotterdam, Kleihus und Kleihus in Berlin and Wiel Arets in Amsterdam. All of these offices had very different approaches, some of which I did not feel close to when it came to the actual architecture that was generated. Yet all were very instructive because in their extremeness there was always some non trivial truth to be found. Currently I am working part time as a researcher in architecture and design in Prof. Harry Gugger’s group ‘laba’ at the Federal Technical University of Lausanne. I feel it is a great chance to be working in academia next to our work at Atelier Areti because academia fosters ideas and approaches that in the ‘real world’ are very difficult to pursue, yet are so important as an underlying drive and aspiration. Our background, which is not product design per se, plays an important role in how we approach design. There is a strong sculptural aspect to our work. A light or piece of furniture has to stand its ground simply as a sculptural object. This sculptural strength is of course not sufficient (as we speak about products and not art) but it is necessary. Because we have worked on making spaces and furnishing them, we also approach product design from a spatial point of view. We always imagine how a light for example exists in a space, how it interacts with this space and defines it. <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6836617085_0c85576b38_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6836617085_0c85576b38_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 806px;" /></a> Why are objects important? Why do you seek beauty in objects? Most things are relative. Objects are obviously not as important as some other things in our life, but given they exist, they might as well be adding to the quality of our life, rather than reduce it. Our immediate environment does influence our well being and being surrounded by beautiful, useful and well designed objects adds quality to our life. Being surrounded by poorly designed, ugly objects, that deteriorate and break quickly, cannot be repaired and thus end up as landfill reduces the quality of our life and environment. Beauty touches us, it speaks to us on an emotional level. We are attracted to beauty, it is pleasing to look at something beautiful. Being sensitive to beauty awakens in us emotions that are important. Someone who never engages in the contemplation and understanding of beauty is missing an area of human perception and emotion. But maybe most important, what is moving about beauty is that it is a strong means of communication. One person creates a beautiful object and it resonates in and moves others. If no one responded to one’s notion of beauty, one would be very lonely. It is touching to think that something beautiful is the result of a person searching for the expression of certain feelings and thoughts and that another person can share these feelings by contemplation of the artist’s / designers’ work. Beauty is a big word though and not everyone means the same thing by beauty. We do not imperatively refer to a classical notion of beauty and harmony, although the kind of beauty we strive for in our work is certainly closer to classical notions of beauty as expressed in classical and modernist art, architecture and design, rather than postmodern, deconstructive, pop, etc. currents. Finally, design is of course not art. There is a component that it shares with art, but it is evidently not as pure in its purpose and more humble in its aspiration. Hence, a beautiful product to us is a product that also has to be useful and well made. It has to be a simple and elegant solution. It has to have been made in an environmentally conscious way. It has to age beautifully. If I know something is made of cheap plastic and will crack and deteriorate quickly, it does not matter that the shape is nice; in light of its poor construction and environmentally unsound approach, even the form seems superficial and looses its appeal. Where did this fascination with lighting come from? Our work at Atelier Areti currently focuses on lighting, with some explorations into furniture design. This focus came by chance rather than it being a conscious decision. Guillane developed a light as her final year project at Central St.Martins. This light was received well and we decided to develop it further into the Kirchschlag Collection. This collection is made from mouth blown and hand engraved crystal glass. There is something magical about this collection, that went beyond what we had imagined when we designed it. The simple oval forms seem to silently sparkle and float in the room. We feel that this is like everything else in life. You are given some chances and conditions and you do the best with them. For us, lighting has been the ground on which Atelier Areti started and we think it is a great ground to work with. Lighting is a very beautiful subject to work with and it is very versatile. There are ceiling lights, standing lights, wall lights. There are lights that are task lights and others that create an atmosphere. It is thus a wonderful and endless subject of exploration for designers. <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6836791591_9afb4cc862_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6836791591_9afb4cc862_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 702px; height: 464px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6836584327_e2c6a8b9bd_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6836584327_e2c6a8b9bd_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 1021px;" /></a> the tools of the glassblower </div> Atelier Areti is in search of a successful "partnership between design and material implementation." What materials do you find yourself working with most? We like to work with materials that have a ‘noble’ quality about them, rather than a ‘cheap’ one. By that we do not necessarily mean the actual cost of the material. Steel is not very expensive for example, but it is solid and it will not degrade disgracefully over time. We like materials that are strong and will thus last, that will age well, and that preferably can be repaired and thus last even longer. A product that will survive construction wise, is of course not automatically one that survives design wise. Our aspiration is to make designs that are beautiful in the classical sense and useful and thus remain appealing over decades. Ideally a piece of furniture or light (except the technical component which can be adapted) should live 50 - 100 years. This sounds outlandish in today’s consumer society, where a product is already outdated when it hits the retail shelves. Yet pieces from past decades or even centuries show us that a design that is beautiful and of good quality has a chance of survival in people’s hearts and thus buildings. Certain qualities will always be appealing because they speak to essential needs and desires that we all share. A good product must thus be well designed and well executed. The material execution is always tricky because there are limitations which often force us to rework the design. More often than not though, these turn out to be opportunities to simplify the design and make it even more elegant and right. We believe that there is beauty in simplicity and that often the most simple solution is the most elegant. Of course there is also something to be said for opulence and the artificially inflated – but we like to keep these kind of expressions to tightly controlled instances. The strength of a design must also be deeper than its surface. We are not interested in creating products whose beauty is dependent on them being in absolute perfect untouched condition. A design must withstand normal use and still be appealing. This means that the object’s shape, its material, its function are strong enough, that it can take on the traces of usage. To summarize: We believe that a noble material enhances the design and vice versa, a good design showcases a given material well. How long do pieces take to go from idea stage to "for sale" items? In general it takes about 1 – 3 years to develop a product. A design can take 5 seconds to sketch and 3 years to develop with the manufacturer. We only work with manufacturers who are passionate about their work and proactive in proposing solutions to the problems we approach them with. Our strength is design and increasingly understanding of the manufacturing process, yet we are still completely dependent on the knowledge and craft of the manufacturer. Because we want to create products that will last, material and design wise, we take shortcuts only when we absolutely necessary. This often puzzles manufacturers. We often get their ‘design proposal’, as in ‘wouldn’t this look nicer … and be much simpler to make’? To which we politely reply that yes, that’s also an option, but we prefer to pursue our original idea. So to contradict what we previously said – simplicity is not always our favored path. Sometimes in order to make something look simple and elegant, one actually has to jump through hoops. This comes down to the fact that various manufacturing processes pose limits that can be perceived as very artificial or arbitrary. In terms of tools we use for design – We are very old fashioned. We sketch and make models that we hang all over the house. We will only design and manufacture something that we would like to own ourselves. We do use 3d modeling for the technical execution, but by that point, the design has already largely been figured out. Seeing the finished product is usually a joy and sometimes a disappointment. There are products that once made in the final material, size etc. simply were not good enough. This proves once again, that the material execution must not be underestimated. <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6836971913_6f57bcddee_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6836971913_6f57bcddee_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 834px; height: 950px;" /></a> Do you collect lighting or art or design, if so, who are some of your favorite designers/artists that you collect? Our mother was not trained in art or design, but clearly had an eye for beauty and it is a great pity that she has not been given the opportunity to pursue it professionally. Privately though, she has pursued it by making all the homes we have lived in showcases of beautiful objects. We have thus grown up among antique carved trunks from Afghanistan, Biedermeier benches and chests from Austria, French walnut cupboards, African sculptures, classical and impressionist paintings, and so much more from around the world. Often our mother would have bought something that no one else noticed and 10 or 20 years later we would see it in a magazine, at which point she would say ‘I bought that 20 years ago’! We have somewhat inherited this trait of wanting to be surrounded by beautiful objects. Although in me it borders on hamstering and due to the frequent moves in the last 15 years, I have tended to cut down as all the packing and unpacking is becoming tiring. The bottom line though is, that we like to be surrounded by beautiful things and when something really stunning and within our budget crosses our path, it is difficult to resist. I am personally very touched by classical greek sculptures, at least as we see them today, white and unpainted. I also like some African sculptures very much. My children call them ‘les messieurs et madames’ and occasionally dress them. Some have dented nose tips from being kicked over repeatedly. Since we have children, all art in our house has to be somewhat robust! As far as designers, we like the usual suspects: Prouve, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, Ray and Charles Eames. The future for Atelier Areti? We would design every object in the world if given the opportunity! We have great ideas about how to make every bathtub, every couch, every doorknob more beautiful and useful. Of course we cannot do all of that, but our aspiration is to design more and more things. We will continue to pursue lighting passionately because it is a field we love and have expertise in. Currently we are working on about 5 new ranges to be manufactured in 2012. We have a few furniture projects that we are developing, but are still looking for the best manufacturing partnership. We also would like to expand our consultancy work as some projects such as bathroom furniture would never be something that we will venture into from the manufacturing point of view. <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7006/6836791591_9afb4cc862_b.jpg"></a> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6836583829_0baae23c3f_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6836583829_0baae23c3f_b.jpg" style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 678px; height: 1024px;" /></a><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6836583431_90b9426ce2_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6836583431_90b9426ce2_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 693px; height: 1047px;" /></a> The craftsmen that work with Atelier Areti? We like to work with craftsmen that are close enough, that we can regularly visit them in person. We thus work mainly with people in Germany, Sweden and the UK. As we are a young and small company, we also tend to work with small to medium sized manufacturing companies that will be interested in working on small series and made to order items. We have great love and appreciation for craftsmen and manufactures that work on well made, well thought through products. They are usually very humble, emphasizing that they do not understand much about ‘design’. Yet their passion about making things well is already an act of design that they are often not aware off. Where can people find your work? People can contact us directly or find our products in a few shops that are listed on our webpage. We are not sure yet what exhibitions we will participate in in the near future. Follow us on<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/AtelierAreti" style="color: rgb(153, 0, 0);"> twitter </a>and you’ll find out as soon as we have figured it out ourselves! visit <a href="http://www.atelierareti.com/">Atelier Areti</a> here. ------------

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a conversation with Atelier Areti

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