pomp apartment

A conversation with Charles de Lisle

"The forms are all very internal and bold for me, sort of these Darth Vader/Ellsworth Kelly alter egos I think. " <a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7179409231_b302082120_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7179409231_b302082120_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 467px;" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"> "I was really interested in the method of carving with chainsaws to build natural forms with really robust man-made textures." - Charles de Lisle 2012 </div><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7364636338_7b87435059_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5038/7364636338_7b87435059_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 467px;" /></a> I distinctly remember discovering the interiors created by Charles de Lisle a year or so ago. His work is the result of 25 years of working within the art of ceramics, metalwork, custom furniture, product design, decoration and interiors. His "handwork" is evident, allowing him to create residential and commercial spaces that are inviting, timeless, thoughtful, and poetic. In his widely published project,<a href="http://cdlworkshop.com/wp-content/uploads/MG_9524.jpg"> the William Wurster Ranch</a> in N. California, Charles created a perched brass/rope branch chandelier over a light blue laminate and ply table which energized the whole space. In this<a href="http://cdlworkshop.com/2009/08/04/decorator-showcase/" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold; color: rgb(102, 0, 0);"> interior space for the SF Showcase</a>, his modernist forms push and pull the interior dimensions, recalling elements of Josef Frank, Stanley Kubrick, and Adolf Loos. (It also appears as if the forms of "the chainsaw chairs" were first revealed in this space.) His sense of color, earthy textures, vibrant patterns, and materials are strictly his own. In 2011, Charles de Lisle introduced a collection of furniture & lighting at SF20/21: San Francisco 20th Century Art and Design Show. This week, June 11-17, at Design/Miami Basel, he is showing his chainsaw chairs and mirrors via <a href="http://www.hostlerburrows.com/">Hostler/Burrows Gallery.</a> In addition, he recently completed the interior for a cafe in Mexico City. In our conversation, he explained how he found himself "surprised about the how Mexico city has this feeling of potential, very different than here in the states. " Thank you Charles. - David John <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7179409937_0dd12b8654_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7093/7179409937_0dd12b8654_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 699px;" /></a> What was the starting point for these new works? I started working on furniture just for the sake of exploring forms and materials. My background was in ceramics and I was missing the immediacy of "making" versus designing. This form was initially made up in upholstery, and morphed into wood at a time where I had met an artist who assisted Northern Californian sculptor JB Blunk 30 years ago. We began talking about working on some projects together as I was really interested in the method of carving with chainsaws to build natural forms with a really robust man-made textures. This work is all about the moment and the individual piece. We search for wood, then let the shape, dimension and character of the specific cut help determine the final form. Not a new idea by any stretch, just where I happened to be. Where did you source this wood from? The chairs are comprised from one, 17 foot long redwood slab that was salvaged from a grove in Sonoma county where George Nakashima pulled material for his redwood tables in the 1970's. The black finish is shoe leather dye, made in the Bay Area, and is the same satin method JB worked with as well. It saturates the grain in a intense and deep black, which allows the hand and mark-making to be seen in the reflection of the light on the surface. I'm interested in both the story that the making references, as well as a new story that happens by combining different visual languages. The forms are all very internal and bold for me, sort of these Darth Vader/Ellsworth Kelly alter egos I think. We are working on other characters right now, benches, dressing mirrors, tables, we will see what kind of family they grow up to be. Why are you motivated to make objects? Does it mean something specific to you? I'm not sure what object making means to me, other than it is an outlet for expression. I've always been a maker of things. I think in the sculptural format, and I have this ability to engineer parts in my head then realize with my hands, or via drawing. I love the act of "taking away," a sense of carving, editing, and deconstructing. This combination of engineering and dismantling interests me, and I believe it comes through in the forms & styles I gravitate towards making. <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7179399037_ab263e6d13_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7179399037_ab263e6d13_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 702px; height: 970px;" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"> "Inspired by the traditional Mexican "tree of life" bas-reliefs I had seen in old haciendas. Ours was made in plaster by the grandson of one of the last sculptors in the city to create and repair the relief work in the old churches." </div> <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/7364626992_3c486e7b6d_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7227/7364626992_3c486e7b6d_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 704px; height: 527px;" /></a> You recently completed a project in Mexico City, the Bistro Maximo. What area of town? Mexico DF, Colonia Roma at the corner of Zacatecas and Tonala How do you go about designing an international project? I was very lucky to be having lunch on my first trip to Mexico in a small retreat in Yelapa, where what was being served was unbelievable. I became friends with the chef and his girlfriend and we realized we all had the same obsession with food, rented a car for a day and went off in search of local eats in the western mountains. Months later they called and had been looking at spaces around La Roma in DF and asked if I would come down and help. From there we combined our individual talents and learned how to build the restaurant together. Did you spend a lot of time there? Every month or so I would head south to work on the space. I traded my time for the chance to visit the city and learn from a natives perspective. First impressions of Mexico City? Mexico City has a great sprawl that still feels both local and super-urban simultaneously. It's one of those fantastic cities that shows its wear on the surface... You can clearly see each moment where the economy or the culture flowered through its{still intact} buildings : Hacienda, colonial, 1940's deco, 60's modern, and now, contemporary. There is also this interesting mix of the dryness of the surrounding desert, and the humid, dense tropical that permeates your senses… I love visiting. Any favorite spots to visit while there? The Luis Barragán house I've toured twice and still find it unbelievable. The Jose Vasconcelos Library is a great, And I really have become dependent on early breakfast at Fonda Las Margaritas. Is there an aspect of Luis Barragán's work that appeals to you? The Barragan house really resonates with me: the subtle light, the color palette, and it's overall dynamic quality. Each room had a path and a way that the light and the architecture led you through a very focused experience, more so than a house just to live in. This house seems to have been made for contemplating. The pink, mango and gold colors in the entry hall, hands down is one of the most amazing combinations I have witnessed. The big handmade lamps and table-scapes of artifacts, the simple low furniture, an appreciation for ceramics. All things I love to see. <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7364627258_bf48e30307_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7092/7364627258_bf48e30307_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 933px;" /></a> <a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7179399413_6f347691af_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7179399413_6f347691af_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 700px; height: 469px;" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"> the Bistro Maximo, Mexico City, interiors by Charles de Lisle </div> Did you connect with a design community while in Mexico City? Somehow I haven't yet dug into the design world there as I have been distracted with connecting with contemporary art or finding myself surprised about the how city has this feeling of potential, very different that here in the states. Everyone there seems more eager to talk or try something new, or be excited about opportunity. Design and food culture seems to have room for creativity. The materials that were used for this project? Everything was made by hand, the menu was to be local and fresh, so the idea was to mirror that and create a local styled space that reflected something traditional and Mexican, but would also feel fresh. We found the simple form of Mexican farm chairs we came across and came up with a modern version with pared down details. The napkins were made on hand-looms in Oaxaca, the dishes all from a small second generation ceramics shop in the city, traditional concrete floors, black painted trim. We collected from our travels both vintage items for the restaurant and great contacts for craftspeople to work with. The floor tiles. Were they made in Mexico? Are they Concrete? The green gingham floor tiles are concrete and were custom colored at a Mexican factory specializing in this old Moorish style. Super bright and graphic referencing these colorful screen-printed metal tables found in the market food stalls and fondas. Where did you shop for the Italian lighting? I was introduced by a friend to Claudia Fernandez, a Mexico City artist, who has a showroom of vintage furniture and lighting in an amazing old colonial house. She and I both have a similar, strong affinity for Italian design. Most of the fixtures are 1960's Lightolier. Where is her shop? Oh god...I can't remember. It was pouring rain my first trip there...! My office might have the address at my office. Tell me about the the tree? It was inspired by the traditional Mexican "tree of life" bas-reliefs I had seen in old haciendas. Ours was made in plaster by the grandson of one of the last sculptors in the city to create and repair the relief work in the old churches. Instead of holding saints, we decided on gold pinstriped church candles. He cast and carved all the parts in a studio on his roof, and then assembled and finished at the site. I admire how you use a single candle in a few different interiors. Thanks ! I think the walls above those shelves at Maximo are super black from soot now. I love that too. <div style="text-align: center;">----------------- </div> "Charles de Lisle's experience spans the last 25 years working within the art of ceramics, metalwork, custom furniture, product design, decoration and interiors. Following 10 years as principal and partner of the firm De lisle, Philpotts & Staub, Charles founded his own office the Charles de Lisle Workshop. He continues to assist his clients produce inspired, award-winning residences, hotels & restaurants." <a href="http://cdlworkshop.com/" style="font-weight: bold;">visit Charles de Lisle Workshop...</a> ----------------

A conversation with Charles de Lisle

"The forms are all very internal and bold for me, sort of these Darth Vader/Ellsworth Kelly alter egos I think. " "I was r...

12:03 AM

Shiro Kuramata

"He knew that you can chase novelty, but that originality is something you have to find inside yourself, within the ordinary rather than the extraordinary. " - John Pawson on Shiro Kuramata <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7355746630_f24cd2d44c_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7355746630_f24cd2d44c_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 699px; height: 757px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Shiro Kuramata Unique cabinet, ca. 1983 from the office of Tetsu Konagaya, President of Livina Yamagiwa, Tokyo <a href="http://www.phillipsdepury.com/auctions/lot-detail/SHIRO-KURAMATA/NY050112/68/6/1/12/detail.aspx#">taken from Phillips de Pury DESIGN June 15th Auction, here. </a></div> "My first encounter with Shiro Kuramata was on the pages of Domus. It was 1968 and I was nineteen. For the first time in my life I found myself looking at work which I could recognise, which set something resonating inside me. Some years later, when I was living in Japan, I opened a copy of one of Kuramata’s books in a Tokyo bookshop and experienced that powerful sense of rightness again. With the audacity of youth, I decided to call the master at his studio and introduce myself. Perhaps he was polite, perhaps he thought he must know me, perhaps it was because I was foreign – which at that time still made one a little special - whatever the case, he suggested we meet for coffee. And so a period of architectural stalking began. I was never a formal apprentice. I simply spent as much time as possible in his studio – a cramped studio opening off a modest courtyard in an obscure part of Tokyo - watching Kuramata work, browsing through his books, breathing the same air. I remember reading an interview with one of his staff. Asked about the circumstances in which he had been taken on, the architect explained that he had been visiting an exhibition, when he “ran into Mr Kuramata in the elevator and became engrossed in conversation”. That was how it was. "He taught me the value of discipline and poetry. He was full of both himself. His capacity for hard work seemed boundless; his determination to get things right absolute. For him design was something which happened inside the head. Sketching was a way to record the outcome of a process which had already essentially taken place. “Once a pen sketch is made”, he explained to his staff, “it sits real deep inside oneself and dismantling it later can be difficult”. Another favorite phrase was, “It can be changed until the first nail”. He was, unusually, an architect who was more interested in space than form. This was as true of his furniture and objects as it was of his interiors. He found ways of making fixed forms seem fluid, of making substance appear substanceless. Light, which itself has no form but can create the illusion of form, was the perfect medium for Kuramata. He also worked extensively with transparent materials, with glass and with perspex. Where I like to work with stone and wood, his preference was for synthetic materials whose perfect surfaces gave the impression of something which had spontaneously materialised in space. It allowed his work to retain the cerebral, abstract quality of thought and appear hyper-real at one and the same time. More than anyone else before or since, Kuramata could take the familiar and wrap it in strangeness, making it lyrical and sensuously beautiful. He understood that novelty and originality are different. He knew that you can chase novelty, but that originality is something you have to find inside yourself, within the ordinary rather than the extraordinary. One of his great gifts was is in taking the everyday and transfiguring it into something which was new to our eyes but familiar to our souls." - John Pawson on Shiro Kuramata <a href="http://www.johnpawson.com/essays/shirokuramata">taken from here.</a> -----------------

Shiro Kuramata

"He knew that you can chase novelty, but that originality is something you have to find inside yourself , within the ordinary rather t...

3:19 PM

Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance

"There are moments, days, during which it is possible, so to speak by surprise, to capture fragments of everyday life which correspond exactly with the reality of our sensations." - Carlo Mollino <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7166950115_cf290545a8_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8154/7166950115_cf290545a8_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 701px;" /></a> Mirror :Light diffusing plexiglas, solid surface, transparent film, one-way smoked mirror, LEDs. Galerie BSL edition of 8 + 4 AP. </div> A few months ago, I became fascinated with <a href="http://youhavebeenheresometime.blogspot.com/2012/01/noe-duchaufour-lawrance-designer.html" style="font-weight: bold;">Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance's work, and posted a completed residence.</a> Noe designed the interiors of the avant-garde showroom, Galerie BSL in Paris for Director Béatrice Saint-Laurent. Next week for Design Miami/Basel, Galerie BSL will exhibit a solo show, entitled "Naturoscopie. With these latest works, "the designer is resolutely committed to go beyond a literal transcription of nature to rekindle the impressions and sensations that we all feel in facing certain natural phenomena." Step into the void, fellow travelers. - David John <a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7166949937_39ebe462b3_b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7166949937_39ebe462b3_b.jpg" style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 701px; height: 467px;" /></a> <div style="text-align: center;"> Coffee Tables : Light diffusing plexiglas, smoked plexiglas, solid surface and medium, printed plexiglas mirror, LEDs. Galerie BSL edition of 8 + 4 AP. </div> ‘Naturoscopie’ - Solo show Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance <a href="http://www.galeriebsl.com/">Galerie BSL</a>: G12, Design Miami/Basel, Basel Naturoscopie III – "Two coffee tables and a mirror. Each of these objects functions like a photographic black box, a developer of images and emotions. The perception of a landscape, of a changing sky, a sunset or an aurora borealis is supported by the partial, moving and coloured vision of a photograph printed on aluminium and concealed inside. What is important here is not the image itself, but the impressions contained in a past moment, in a souvenir kept alive thanks to the object which houses it and the lighting system implemented. The Led spots alternately dance across the printed surface. The photograph is never totally visible. The experience of the object thus becomes progressive, leaving the spectator free to project himself into his own sensory memory. " Galerie BSL "Established in Paris in the Haut-Marais, Galerie BSL presents one-off and limited-edition pieces that explore the shifting borders between contemporary art, design and architecture, thus modeling and nurturing new frontiers in design. The gallery commissions and showcases both established names and emerging talent working in today's international design scene, including Nacho Carbonell, Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance, Charles Kalpakian, among others. Rare vintage 20th century lighting and designer jewellery produced for the gallery complete this avant-garde and exclusive world. Directed by Béatrice Saint-Laurent, Galerie BSL was an honoree at the ‘Best of Year’ awards 2010 selected by Interior Design magazine (United States) for the originality of its concept, as well as its interior design by Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance. " photography by Ulysse Frechelin --------------------

Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance

"There are moments, days, during which it is possible, so to speak by surprise, to capture fragments of everyday life which correspon...

11:39 AM

pomp apartment

A conversation with Charles de Lisle

Shiro Kuramata

Noé Duchaufour-Lawrance

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