Land+Living
Land+Living
Adriean

Factory 13
Experimental Skateboard MFG.


Chardon, Ohio based Factory 13 Experimental Skateboard Mfg. is owner Danny Creadon's vehicle to maintain a stance against corporate America.

We operate outside of corporate trends, we will never compromise style for money. Everything from cereal bowl concaves, 8 wheelers, longboards, single kick pigs, rockers, new street shapes, custom constructions, custom mold making, silk screening and custom artwork. Dedication to true skateboarders.
A fiercely independant entity, F13 has compiled an overwhelming portfolio of custom work both in quantity and more importantly, quality. Personally I just couldn't get over the variety of decks that Danny and his crew have created. The images we've posted for this article is nothing more than a drop in the ocean for what's come out of that shop.

Absolutely insane.

Link: Factory 13

SPOON
Stand-up job from the UK


You know Marcel Duchamp would love to get his signature on this bad boy.

UK based Philip Watts Design breathes life into the 'loo' with a new urinal design entitled SPOON.

Finished using stove enamelling, this solid cast aluminum piece is just that...solid.

Link: Philip Watts Design

Edmonton Art Gallery
Building A New Vision: Four Perspectives


The past few months in Edmonton has been filled with some serious design buzz with 4 proposals for the Alberta Gallery of Art. Submittals were from Randall Stout, Zaha Hadid, Arthur Erickson and Will Aslop with Stout coming out on top. He had a good presentation and all, but i'm still a firm believer in Alsop's. (shown here).

Check out the site for the other entries.

Link: Art Gallery of Alberta

Drew Sage Hunter
"Art is an image to a story. Sometimes simple, other times with purpose"


Canadian Artist Drew Sage Hunter has a solid collection of contemporary paintings. Images range from Canadiana to Star Wars to old Spaghetti westerns that all just somehow fit with one another.

Link: Drew Sage Hunter

Rubber Soul
100% natural rubber decorative products
I'm clearly a sucker for bright and bold colored product. But when the material is rubber as opposed to ceramic or porcelain, it's just that extra special.

Case in point is the line of rubber items from Assembly Bangkok. From a distance you think nothing of it until you get them in your hands.

You just want to keep touching them !!

Link: Assembly Bangkok

Perk
Coffee service


I've been a fan of New York based Intoto for awhile. They just produce the cleanest design's like this porcelain coffee server set called Perk.

Link: Intoto

DvA Designs
Making his Momma proud


Born in Canada, raised in Florida and now residing in Chicago, artist David van Alphen has a portfolio as varied as his place of origin.

Most notable for me is his Photoshift Art series that requires the simple task of cutting up photos and re-assembling them into an obscure piece of art that results in a fairly strong visual.

I also appreciate the humour added to the site with the casual bio as well as comments from his Mother and this gem from his wife......
David's creations are wonderful. If I had a reason to hire him, I would!
Be sure to also check out his Montage Art series as well. Very nice.

Link: DvA Designs

Deborah Grant
When Art is as sweet as Jazz


I just happened to stumble upon some great work by artist Deborah Grant who recently finished a solo exhibition earlier this month at Roebling Hall Art Gallery in New York.

The galleries site has a few images of Grants work which has been cleverly compared to the way a jazz musician improvises and combines irregular components into one unified composition that she describes as Random Select.

Link: Roebling Hall

SPACE 1026
Call it a collaboration but just don't call it a collaboration.


Dubbed a "a 7 year experiment", SPACE 1026 is clearly turning into a succesful attempt.

Located in Philadelphia, the 2 storey building that is home to SPACE 1026 has developed into a thriving art scene that provides both studio and gallery space for the cities up and coming community of artists.

It is a network of dozens of artists who‘ve had studios at the Space, past and present. It is dozens of artists who‘ve had shows at the Space over the last 7 years. It is dozens of artists who come to our events, and participate in our community. Space 1026 is a community - a creative community - not an institution.
The variety of work is amazing with definitely a few head turners. Especially for me is the work by Artist Rachel Vittorelli (seen above) and her series of light fixtures.

Something for everyone.

Link: SPACE 1026

Adrift Mobiles
Well balanced design



Working out of his workshop in San Francisco’s SOMA district, designer Brian Schmitt has put together a nice variety of mobiles under the appropriately titled moniker Adrift.

The mobiles come in a number of finishes including natural bamboo, amber bamboo, maple and walnut. All of which are finished with a non-toxic natural oil.

Also of note, Brian recently participated at last months HauteGREEN exhibition that showcased "the best in sustainable design".

Link: Adrift Mobiles
Link: HauteGREEN

ART ?
Britain's Royal Academy of Art not helping the cause.


A base consisting of a slate slab and a stick that was meant to hold up a laughing human head made by British sculptor David Hensel, was mistaken for a work of art itself.

Britain's Royal Academy of Art had recieved the base before the head and made the assumption that this was indeed worthy of displaying in their summer exhibit which was dedicated to emerging artists.

Now the real kicker to this story...the head was actually rejected while the base is actually a go! As far as we know it has yet to be accepted to exhibit along side it's prop.

The old "Eye of the Beholder" bit I guess.

Link: Britain's Royal Academy of Art

smartsRus
Making SMART smarter.


With SMARTcar ROADSTER sales plummeting, Merecedes-Benz may want to take a cue from the custom jobs found over at UK based smartsRus. A site dedicated to providing sales as well as a platform for those involved in the Smart Car culture.

Established back in 2002 by Paul Holmes and Liam Wilkinson, smartsRus has quickly become a major cog in the world of SMART.

Now obviously the A-Team custom has caught my attention, but just one thing though....can I smash through a chain link fence with it ?

Link: smartsRus

ODDICA
not your momma's apparel


Based in Signal Hill-California, Oddica is an online apparel company that has put great emphasis into promoting the artists and designers who've colalborated on a wide range of T-shirts.
The focal point of our company is our Artists. How they interpret a particular idea, and how that idea looks on a shirt, determines whether a customer is going to buy, plain and simple. Our job is to stay behind the curtain and seamlessly deliver the Artist's vision to our customers.
Apart from the mainstay line of t-shirts, regular contributors Joshua Smith (Hydro74) and Brian Jaramillo (beejay) are collaborating on the inaugural Year in T-Shirts book. Items included will be the top 10 T-shirts of the year, top 10 artists of the year and profiles on a number of designers and brands.

As well the group is working on a kids line for the immediate future simply titled, Oddica Kids.

Link: Oddica

Dunny : Series 3
Happiness via Kidrobot
Kidrobot is slated to release the next series in the highly succesful Dunny line.

Dunny : Series 3 will cary 17 new designs from artists such as Huck Gee, Feric, Joe Ledbetter and Attaboy just to name a few.

Drops July 27th.

Link: Kidrobot
via: VinylPulse

Manolo
Man about town !
'Manolo is Gonna Have Fun' is a light hearted collaboration between designers Hector Serrano and Lola Llorca that brings a little 'tongue in cheek' humour to design.
This project takes fun to the extreme with everyday objects, combining function with amusement. Manolos products are inspired by toys and the action of playing games. Manolo is Gonna Have Fun introduces the idea of the enjoyable with the mundane.
I love their directions for the 'I Like Football' piece......
Directions: Before use plug in. Simply use like a normal lamp football. For best results always follow Ronaldo’s corner taking skills. Use only as directed. Intentional misuse can be excellent, even more fun.
Link: Manolo
Link: Hector Serrano

VEST Collective
where design meets craft
Toronto is home to a diverse group of designers working under the collaborative effort of VEST Collective.

Consisting of 10 members, VEST not only focuses on design, but the craft aspect as well. To some the word 'craft' may be a dirty word, but definitely not to this talented group. Case in point is the well executed entry to the Gladstone Hotels annual 'Come up to my room' exhibit that they entitled 'The 1889 Project '.

Vest Collective is a loosely knit group of designers and craft practitioners based in Toronto. Work produced under the Vest moniker adheres to the principle that objects can affect positive change on the people and other objects with which they come in contact.

Equal emphasis is put on the quality/longevity of the work produced, and its relevance to contemporary culture. With an appreciation for different disciplines, Vest produces work demonstrating that design is full of the potential to communicate a wide range of ideas.
Also of note, VEST is holding their collective spring show in Toronto from April 20-May 16, 2006. More details at thier site.

Link: VEST Collective

Element Living
Design Consistency
Designer Quynh Dang established Element Living back in 2003. Since then he's built a solid body of work with one quality design after another.

element living is a design house that strives to heighten our experiences and enjoyment of our surroundings by providing products of beauty, simplicity and utility.


I had the privelage of trying out his Pure Chair. It was by far THE most comfortable dining chair i've sat in. The ergonomics on this piece was spot on.

Link: Element Living

Hoodoo
Design from the ground up
Designers Shoko Cesar and Greg Ball have launched a collaborative project entitled Hoodoo. Throughout the series the duo deliberately draws influence from the surrounding elements of the prairie landscapes of Alberta and incorporates that into their products.
Throughout the timeline of human evolution, humans have built tools,sculptures, and inscribed Art on rock walls attempting to understand our existence. Hoodoo Series is a postmodern approach that continues that search for truth, revealing natural design elements from the prairie landscape. While producing a genuine prairie style, Cesar and Ball dig through visual layers of historic sediment, exposing traces of an evolutionary world past millions of years.
The Hoodoos lamp will be featured as part of the Prototype exhibit that takes place at the renowned Toronto Interior Design Show from February 23rd-26th.

Link: Hoodoo
Link: Toronto IDS

Sybarite UK
Design on the way up.
Architectural and design practice, Sybarite UK has come up with a radical approach for housing units in a rural setting by seriously beefing up the common treehouse. The concept is an amazing display of creativity and consideration to the environment which is clearly the way things are rightfully heading these days.
Conceptual research project in rural areas of England such as Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. In partnership with local planning authorities and property developers we aim to develop a modular tree house concept. This could, with a flexible planning arrangement, encourage a more organic approach to country living. Architecturally, the design direction evolves from the underside, to the interior and then outwards concentrating on views and aspects above the tree horizon. The ‘belly’ of the tree house accommodates undulating kinetic baffles that utilise wind power to generate electricity. The plan form also meanders to the extent that modular sections can be prefabricated so that the overall size can vary from a single bedroom house up to a five bedroom model. The prefabricated design can be installed on site within two weeks, is extremely lightweight, uses many recycled products, is part self-sustainable and low on maintenance.


Link: Sybarite UK

MARTa Herford Museum
Frank Gehry expands the German art world
The north-western German town of Herford made quite a splash in the art world with its ambitious new project, the MARTa Herford Museum. The 21,000 sq.ft. addition by Frank Gehry brought a serious overhaul to the existing structure that's been standing since the 1950's.
With the name MARTa fronting the triad of design (M standing for Möbel/furniture), art (ART) and architecture/ambience (a), the museum aims to provide fresh inspiration for art, design, architecture and business both in the local region and far beyond. An extraordinary complex of buildings designed by Frank Gehry houses a novel combination of a museum, centre of excellence and event forum. It is here that exhibition curator and museum director Jan Hoet displays contemporary aspects of art and design. The main idea behind MARTa Herford is to highlight and redefine the contradictory links between art and business.
The museum addition is sure to add to Herford's prominence in the design community where the town accounts for 20% of furniture made in Germany as well as hosting two prominent trade shows, MOW and ZOW. Both are showcases for the furniture trade and suppliers respectively and act as both international forums as well as barometers for the industry.

Link: MARTa Herford

LOYAL LOOT
Canadian design collective making waves
Created in 2003, the Loyal Loot Collective consists of graduates from the University of Alberta's Industrial Design program. In a short time they've made great strides in the design community by exhibiting in hotspots such as Tokyo, London, Toronto, and New York. Now with their website up and running, they're prepared to reach a larger audience with their well thought out line of products.
As a collective, Loyal Loot strives to create designs with a natural quality by staying true to materials. The inherent value of these designs is meant to last a lifetime ensuring that they retain a non-disposable presence and remain precious to their owner, becoming more and more meaningful as they age. Loyal loot exhibits their work together and aims to create community in design, within the collective as well as with fellow designers. Members of loyal loot are involved in several creative facets, specializing in furniture, products and clothing.


Link: LoyalLootCollective
Link: University of Alberta

RIAI Awards 2005
Ireland Celebrates it's own
The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland has recently handed out their awards for the best of 2005. Founded in 1839, the RIAI is the representative body for professionally qualified architects in Ireland and is the only dedicated exhibition facility for architecture and design in the country.

The RIAI travels to numerous venues throughout Ireland as well as London to recognize and showcase the wide range of projects completed throught the year. From high end residential to conference centres, it's a great display of work to look through.

Link: RIAI - Irish Architecture Awards 2005


FuseDesignCollective
Proving there's power in numbers
Based in London, FuseDesignCollective was formed over a year ago by a group of design graduates from the University of Brighton. It has now grown to incorporate graduate members from other universities around the UK with each member bringing in new style, skills and personality to the group.
Fuse represents a new mode in contemporary British design. The Fuse designers form the nucleus of a shared network of specialist knowledge and experience. The Collective is not a business, company or a "non-profit making organization", it is a group set up by its member designers to help each other to create better design, for themselves and their clients.


Link: FuseDesignCollective

duoMo Hotel
Ron Arad dreams up paradise
Situated in the historical Italian city of Rimini, designer Ron Arad plans to make history of his own. Scheduled for an early 2006 opening, the revamped duoMo hotel is set to reintroduce itself as a modern icon within these historical surroundings.
looking back at the dream, to what, to how we would have wanted the duoMo hotel to become, we were sure that we wanted something that embraced the past but looked towards the future, something different, something international that reflected our need for dynamism, design, and creativity on one hand while on the other could also be a place to unwind, meet people and conduct business.
The standout for me thus far is the amazingly over the top (but rightfully so) reception desk......Ron you got me at hello.

Link: duoMo hotel
Firm: Ron Arad Associates
Link: City of Rimini

IN/EX TERIOR
The Works of Eva Jiricna
Czech born / London based architect, Eva Jiricna , is represented quite nicely in a recent publication of her projects titled 'In/Ex Terior'. The book showcases a selection of 39 projects and designs which includes over 250 photographs and drawings to really get the point across as to how much of a talent she really is. It's a well layed out portfolio of retail, hotels, night clubs and much, much more.

Over the last decade Jiricna´s contribution to architecture and design has been recognised with personal awards, including being made a Royal Designer for Industry, a Commander of the British Empire for Services to Interior Design, election as a Royal Academician by the Royal Academy of Arts, and induction in the American Hall of Fame. She holds honorary doctorates and professorships at several universities (e.g., Southampton Institute, Technical University in Brno, University of Sheffield, Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague). In 2003 she was elected a President of Architectural Association of London. She participates on international juries and lectures widely on her work.
Link: Eva Jiricna Architects

Singapore Design Festival 2005
Design Rises in the East
The first annual Singapore Design Festival takes flight this month with a truely broad range of design avenues such as furniture, photography, graphics, toy design, textiles and many, many more. All of which is meant to celebrate the best of design that the city has to offer.
The inaugural Singapore Design Festival, scheduled for 9 to 23 November 2005, is a multifaceted experience focusing on the design process and the conceptualisation of ideas. In essence the Festival aims to build upon the design culture in Singapore and around the world, making it an interactive and “live” experience of the design process and its end products. From designers to design policy makers, agencies, schools, media, related industries, businesses and the general public - all are welcome to participate, enjoy and learn.

This event has great potential in only it's first year. I really like the fact that they chose to display so many diciplines of design and help create a 'community' atmosphere. Definitely one to keep an eye on every year.

Link: SDF


Isle Lounge Sofa
Asobi thinks big !
There's wanting space for yourself, and then there's demanding space for yourself.

Slovenian company, Asobi, did just that at this years 100% Design festival in London with the gigantic Isle Lounge Sofa. Boasting dimensions of 17' x 9' x 5', it will no doubt demand a reaction from dinner guests as well as passengers from the red eye flight from London to Ljubljana.

The outer shell is made from carbon epoxy and upholstered in special 3d textile from Hybrids+Fusion. Isle's total weight is less than 200kg and stands on just four thin legs, but can easlily hold your next team function.....literally.

As a person of Slovenian decent, i've always wanted to do a write-up on the design scene there and have obviously made a rather big step in doing just that.

............OK, this is why i'm not writing for a sit-com.

Link: asobi


Bin Bin
Today Japan, tomorrow......
Danish design company, Essey, was recently honoured with the Good Design Award 2005 in Japan for their intricate wastebasket, Bin Bin. The competition is through the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO), which is apparently the countries only comprehensive design promotion body.

With Bin Bin, designer John Brauer has definitely created a wastebasket that easily stands apart from it's contemporaries. Made of high density polyethylene, Bin Bin was designed to look exactly like the crushed paper it was meant to contain. It's a case of re-thinking an everyday object that normally gets taken for granted, and breathe some new life into it.

Link: essey


Bocci
Omer Arbel Sheds Some New Light
Vancouver designer, Omer Arbel, was recently appointed as Creative Director for Bocci, a new Canadian Manufacturer of high design objects.
Instead of choosing a mid career, established designer for our creative director, we decided to choose someone up and coming who has not yet reached the peak of his career; that way our company can grow and develop along side our creative director’s career. We are getting in on the ground floor, so to speak. Omer Arbel was the perfect fit.
Bocci will inaugurate the new collection with his 14 series cast glass pendants.

The 14 series is a family of low voltage lighting fixtures. The pendants are articulated seamed cast glass spheres with frosted cylindrical voids in them, which house halogen light fixtures. The pendants are designed to be clustered in groups - the effect being of many tiny candles encased in floating spheres of water. The light interacts with the imperfections / bubbles in the glass to make a visually rich halo of light around the piece.

Link: bocci