From the category archives:
Mind Over Matter
Grace Jeffers' love affair with materials began at nine years old, when the other students used paper doilies to decorate their Valentine’s Day project, she shingled hers in laminate.
We may think of engineered fibers as a relatively new phenomenon. But a good sheepherder knows that wool is actually the first “engineered” fiber. “How so?” you may ask. Because sheep breeds were refined and crossbred so the wool fibers would have specific performance properties.
Read the rest of entry »
We reached out to Bendheim Architectural Glass to see what they are doing to innovate in the world of glass and the following are three current trends they've identified...
Read the rest of entry »
"Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care" is a famous line from Macbeth and indeed sleep is one of the best things you can do for your brain and your body.
Read the rest of entry »
A pair of new exhibitions at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City, “Foiled: Tinsel Painting in America” and “Ooh, Shiny”, started me thinking about metallic foils as a material.
Read the rest of entry »
Grace Jeffers discusses the Fusión Wood Panels collection from Architectural Systems, Inc.
Read the rest of entry »
In the wake of the Olympics there is always a surge of excitement about sports. We are all inspired by the athletes’ world-record-breaking performances and passion, their success at making their own marks on history. What we don’t often realize is how the clothing they wear, the equipment they use and the very stadium they compete in are contributing to their outstanding performances.
Read the rest of entry »
In 1998 I was lucky enough to be visiting the Wilsonart Laminate company in Temple, Texas. It was lunchtime and one of the executive assistants said “They are gutting the founders house today. You should take her over there. There’s lots of old laminate, it’s a real hoot!”...
Read the rest of entry »
This question comes from Caroline Alder, an art director in the film industry. She writes: “I am presently working on a period short film (mid 50s). The house we will be filming in has a lot of white wood veneer wall panels (see attached pictures). I am confident that wood veneer existed in that period but I question the white one.”
Read the rest of entry »
One of the great qualities of art is that it conveys meaning without words. Art makes us feel. Sometimes an artist uses color or composition or form to do this; the artists currently on view in a new exhibition at the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. all use materials to elicit a certain sensory response in the viewer.
Read the rest of entry »
On the outskirts of Merida lies the little pueblo of Dzitya, which for generations has been home to some of the premiere stone carvers in Mexico. Evidence of the stone carving trade can be found in the names of towns throughout the Merida province, such as Tunich and Xcanatun.
Read the rest of entry »