deep surface

 

It's sort of official, so I think it's safe to start writing about the second exhibition for CAM Raleigh that I'm co-curating with Susan Yelavich. 

We've been working on it since July, 2010 and it opens September 23, 2011 (seven short months from now). Clearly the planning has had to move pretty quickly, especially because it's a collective show — a lot of variables and moving parts. Before this process began I had not worked with a registrar (barely knew what one does), nor did I know what it takes to move artifacts owned by one entity in one place to another entity in another place. And, have I ever filled over 4,000 square feet of open space with eye-popping, thought-provoking wonder? Um, no. 

My head is spinning, in that "pinch me, I must be dreaming" sort of way. And, to my surprise, the show is coming together exceptionally. Everyone involved is enthusiastic, generous, full of great ideas. And the work we're showing? Let's just say I'm humbled.

Deep Surface: Contemporary Ornament and Pattern

While the title is self explanatory, our take on it is less obvious. We've selected the checklist to represent six themes we see occuring in the design of contemporary ornament and pattern: 

• Everyday
• Kit-of-Parts
• Regeneration
• Inheritance
• Amplification
• Fantasy

The checklist includes works by international artists, designers, and architects in a variety of media:

Textiles, Surfaces, Furniture: 

Atelier Manferdini, United States
Boym, United States
Campana Brothers, Brazil 
Committee, Britain
Nipa Doshi, Jonathan Levien, India/Britain
Richard Hutten, Netherlands
Iznik Foundation, Turkey
Hella Jongerius, Netherlands
Minale Maeda, Netherlands
Maharam Digital Projects, United States
Marcel Wanders, France 

Graphic Design, Type Design: 

2x4, United States
Marian Bantjes, Canada
Peter Bilak, Czech Republic/Netherlands
Andrew Blauvelt, Chad Kloepfer, United States
Cuban Council (K10K), United States
Homa Delvaray, Iran 
Behrouz Hariri, Iran/Canada 
Joseph Holzman, United States
Kapitza, Britain
Jeffery Keedy, United States
Gail Swanlund, Geoff Kaplan, United States
Andrea Tinnes, Germany
Rudy Vanderlans, Zuzana Licko, United States 
Hansje van Halem, Netherlands 

Clothing: 

Alabama Chanin, United States
Junky Styling, Britain

Product Design:

Tord Boontje, Netherlands
Bouroullec Brothers, France 
Ela Cindoruk, Turkey
Demakersvan, Netherlands
Joris Laarman Lab, Netherlands
Legos, Denmark
Niels van Eijk, Miriam van der Lubbe, Netherlands
Maxim Velčovský, Czech Republic
Put-in-cups, United States

Architecture: 

Atelier Manferdini, United States
FAT, Britain
Studio Dror, United States 

Mixed Media: 

Ebon Heath, United States
Loop pH, Britain
OSU Media Lab, United States

 

Comments

[Jay A Harlow]

This sounds amazing. Does Mixed Media include interactivity?

[DGC]

Thanks Jay! And, absolutely...projections, interactive tools that generate pattern, hands on materials to play with, etc. One of the designers may even be introducing a phone app (fingers crossed).

And thanks for commenting! You're the very first!

[Jay A Harlow]

Excellent! With a title as juicy as "Deep Surface", I figured there had to be some interactive pattern. And you know how I feel about that stuff : )