UXUS Designs
This design company creates new objects out of a limited range in materials.
They create completely new designs and also 'refurbish' old objects.
One of their projects that caught my eye was called 'Not So Fragile' (full description here). Basically the designers took some pieces of ordinary furniture and wrapped it in neon orange packaging tape, giving it a different appearance and making it look modern. It's a really simple idea and technique, but I think it works really well. They have managed to breathe new life into a tired object, which is what I would like to achieve in my project, just not so literally!
Another Project they completed that also caught my eye was called 'Light-ness', where they provided the materials for the consumer to create a lamp with, but they consumer would put it together and decide what they want it to look like. Even though the range of materials provided was limited, I thought that some interesting designs were made. The idea of this project was to question who was the real designer in the creation of the lamps, but I found it interesting to see how much can be made out of the same set of materials. I think I might come to a stage in my project where I find myself limited with my materials, so its interesting for me to see how other people have over come this problem.
Sebastian Errazuriz
... Is a fashion designer who works with repetitive forms when creating a new product. He also uses materials that wouldn't usually be associated with fashion garments. Even though I don't think these designs are practical, I think its interesting to see how repeating the same object can create a completely different appearance.
For example, the zip dress. The dress is made entirely out of zips, which create their own horizontal, striped pattern. Zips are a common fastening technique used on clothes, but I have never seen them used to make a whole garment before.
Another Odd design he made was a dress and matching bag out of rubber gloves. I think they make a really interesting texture, that could even be replicated with strips of fabric.
I also liked his Teddy Jacket, which is just a coat made out of old stuffed bears. It looks really cosy!
Steven Rodrig
... Is a recycling conscious artist who creates sculptures out of old circuit boards. I thought that his work was very literal, but also really relevant to what I'm doing. I know that circuit boards are really bad for the environment when they go to waste because they aren't bio-degradable, so they take a very long time to break down. I've found about 5 circuit boards in my TV already, and I haven't even taken it apart properly yet, so it's interesting for me to see what can be made out of them.
Steven Rodrig has made his into sculptures, small scenes and used them to decorate books with.
