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FORM- Second Annual Contemporary Design Show

This show is legit. Featuring an eclectic mix of up-to-the-minute works from over 70 designers and presenters, FORM’s second annual contemporary design how exhibited everything from the rustic to the whimsical. Taking place in the sprawling Temtor Building (once a Coca-Cola Syrup bottling plant) on South Broadway, I traversed this 15,000-square foot maze seeking out everything that FORM had to offer. Around every bend I was welcomed by cavernous spaces jam-packed with eco-friendly and clever designs.

FORM has a sense of warmth that one might not necessarily get at a typical design opening. This feeling comes from the ever-rising eco-friendly trend that much of the show encompassed mixed with the softly lit walls of the Temtor. While still emitting a refined sense of austerity, rawness and natural hues prevailed as the overarching theme of the night. Nearly every piece invited touch, interaction, and questions – questions that the designers were more than happy to oblige in answering.

David Stine woodworker from Illinois creates stoic, handmade pieces from the trees of his family’s farm that are current, simple, and functional. When I asked about his process from sawing to sanding, he genially replied, “I let the tree decide what shape it will take.” This cliché response was anything but; the beauty of these effortless articles did shine through in the knots, grains, and even a bullet lodged in to one particular tabletop. Stine is a massive person (think, Paul Bunyan) who creates massive works. His personality comes out in his work. This sort of individual passion was another highlight consistent throughout FORM.

Passion is also positively pouring from Jose Rivera, a student from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Rivera showcased a wonderful compartmentalized table, pendants that joyfully resembled the Space Invaders arcade game from 1978, and a completely customizable bike that easily shifts in size for a quick and customizable ride. Fun, quirky, clever, and completely in line with the vibe of the night, Rivera glowed with smart ideas and an unspoken promise that we’ll be seeing many more important works from him in the future.

Beyond all of the eye candy present at FORM, there was still more to be gleaned. Brie Cella of Perennial was on hand to explain their upcoming event Lost + Found, Perennial’s 1st Annual Fundraiser (October 6, 6 pm at Bridge, 1004 Locust, STL), helping to round out an already full lineup of vendors. Cella explained their mission of DIY sustainable design from found and forgotten object, along with the rediscovering of commodity ownership.

Stepping away from the exhibition rooms I ventured in to the auction and presenters hall, filled with an array of hor d’oeuvres, drinks, and local works to be sold later in the evening. Keynote speaker Zoe Ryan, Curator of Architecture and Design of the Art Institute of Chicago gave an address that in good grace lacked pretention whilst still supplying an overview of the past five years of modern design. Ryan covered topics ranging from furniture, to the importance of the Obama campaign logo.

If you did not or could not make it this year, mark it on your calendar now for 2012. This event is important to what is happening in the design world. It’s palatable and easy for even laymen to digest without the all-too-common pompous and haughty strings normally attached to a wine-drinking, pinky-out, in-the-know design crowd. Only in its infancy, I’ll be excited to see how this show evolves over the next few years; I expect it can only get better. After all, FORM is already legit.

Parametric design has recently been brought back to our attention because of the ease and speed at which we can now produce these complex compositions. With state of the art computer modeling programs, we can create unique, organic forms without the tedious, complicated nature of traditional 2D CAD programs. Instead of altering a drawing piece by piece, parametric modeling allows you to create a family in which all the geometry is held together by a parametric equation. Each component holds a certain value in the equation; when one value changes, the others respond accordingly. Only now, you don’t have to be a mathematician to figure out these algorithms, you can let the computer do it for you!

If you are staring blankly at your computer right now it might be time for some visual clarification. Check out this Youtube video on parametric design using Grasshopper (a 3D modeling program). It really helps you to understand how components of a model are linked together.

One of the most intriguing parts of parametric design is the tessellation of the forms. Tessellation is the collection of pieces that fit together to create a plane or surface; the individual building blocks of a form. Tessellation also helps create the underlying structure. Ever wonder how those crazy buildings are constructed?  Check out The Function of Form, by Farshid Moussavi. It is a great book to help you understand tessellation in large building structures. It has hundreds of diagrams of many different structures from simple domes to curving roofs.

A new product was introduced at NeoCon this year that utilizes parametric design to create some dramatic interior solutions. Seeyond can be used for walls, wall mounted structures, ceiling clouds, columns wraps, and impartial enclosures.  It’s easy to see why this product is so popular. The designs instantly grab your attention and draw you in to get a closer look. There are two things that a really like about this product.

First, it is totally custom. Designers can use Seeyond’s product specific computer program called the Tess Specification Tool to create their own designs. By allowing you to control the feature type, size, form, tessellation, and relief or effects, this program gives you the stepping stones to create a unique and stable design.

Second, Seeyond is bringing parametric design to a more attainable level. Parametric design is no longer restricted to building design or other large scale projects; and with the user friendly program, it is no longer so difficult to wrap your head around. Unlike most parametric installations that have to be incorporated from the very beginning of the design – Seeyond is a solution that can be a secondary thought. It is perfect for a designer trying to give a fresh look to an existing space.

To get more of an insider’s perspective, I emailed the folks at Seeyond. I was lucky enough to be able to ask one of their designers, Jonas Hauptman, a few questions. See what he has to say below.

Q: When you first started experimenting with parametric design, what were you most intrigued by?

A: The powerful way that physical material, design expression and manufacturing could be combined in a harmonious relationship.

Q: The description of the Tess Specification Tool makes it sound like a user friendly link to the complex world of parametric design. As a virtual tool, does Tess account for all the variables in the real world (i.e. gravity, material and fabrication limitations, structural efficiency) without limiting design?

A: The Tess tool palette allows us to quickly and easily evaluate center of mass, part size and many aspects of the technical equation. In addition, the Seeyond team has spent several years designing and building dozens of actual features – everything from small, wall-mounted pieces to 14-foot-high, freestanding walls with compound curves. Through this process, we’ve developed a keen and intuitive sense that helps us identify areas of risk early — so that we can engineer a safe and efficient solution to the design and manufacture of a feature.

Q: Can you explain how to tessellate an organic dome without losing the character of its shape?

A: The Seeyond solution, using a propriety set of algorithms and specially formulated materials, approximates compound form with tessellated arrays of self-structuring, twisted planes.  The scale and proportion of these planes is optimized to closely approximate the designer’s gesture.  Like a digital printer that uses dots per inch (dpi) to determine resolution, we use component size to approximate complex form. If a user adds greater pixel definition – or, for Seeyond, more box elements to approximate the same form — it raises the resolution. The system supplies optimized component sizes to suggest the best value proposition for the manufactured feature, but allows the designer to override this suggestion and either add or subtract resolution — either for visual affect or to value engineer.

Q: Do you ever foresee Seeyond or the Tess Specification Tool being used for structural building solutions or in other industrial or architectural applications?

A: It’s not out of the question that the system could be used someday for structural solutions. However, our initial focus is firmly on designing and manufacturing interior features such as non-loadbearing walls, wall-mounted structures, ceiling clouds, column wraps and partial enclosures.

Q: It seems as though parametric design is becoming increasingly popular in today’s industry. How do you see parametric design being used in the future? Is parametric design becoming a competitive necessity?

A: In the world of design and manufacturing, aspects of parametrics have been in place for at least 20 years. What has changed is ease of use and speed.  We expect this to continue, with parametrics eventually becoming a ubiquitous part of design.  For example, we no longer even think about the difference between a drawing and a CAD file, a physical model and a 3D computer model, or a paint color and the machine that mixes an exact custom and repeatable color just before it gets put in the can.  Parametrics are here to stay (in BIM and elsewhere) — and eventually, we won’t even think about the complex processes needed to bring a design to life.

Thanks, Jonas!

Be sure to explore Seeyond’s website for more great information! www.seeyond.com

FORM is just one part in the spectrum of The Luminary’s innovative approach to initiating art, music and cultural projects that provide resources to the creative community and present forward-moving events to the broader culture. Through programs like our Residency Program and AV, an artist equipment library, we provide creators with the tools and opportunities needed to thrive and seek to address the pressing issues facing them today. Likewise, our exhibitions and events forge new connections between art, design and music and cultivate new audiences interested in these intersections. Each individual facet of The Luminary returns back to the idea that exceptional ideas need to be supported, new ideas initiated, and new models formed so that the arts thrive in our culture. As you attend FORM this year, make these connections with us. As you support FORM, you are not only sustaining the programs and events already in place, but also ensuring these new ideas emerge and making new models possible. We will see you there.

James McAnally is the Founder and Executive Director of The Luminary Center for the Arts.
http://theluminaryarts.com

There was also a lot of experimentation going on with new technologies and materials. Wait… did I say new? I mean not so new. In fact, many of the processes used to create these new exciting pieces of furniture had been around for 50 years or more! So what was the hold up? Money, time and availability (isn’t that always the case?). The world is so busy trying to get tomorrows work done today that wedon’t have time to stop and realize the potential of our discoveries. So what happened around the 1940s? Designers finally stopped to smell the roses. Techniques such as molded plywood, bent steel, and plastics had only been used to certain extents. So when designers like Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Eero Saarinen, George Nelson, Arne Jacobsen, Isamu Noguchi, Ray and Charles Eames, and Henry Bertoia started thinking outside the box, they had some pretty innovative results.

It helped that the materials they were using where now relatively cheap and the processes somewhat familiar. This made machining and mass production much easier. Not to say these designers weren’t hands on; many of them first fabricated their creations by hand before mass production. The Eames Lounge Chair is probably one of the most popular chairs out there. The Famous husband and wife team took the old technique of molded plywood and created something completely new and sophisticated. Even animated cartoons have used this chair to make a statement; as it is seen here in FX’s show Archer.

George Nelson is the genius behind many designs. I think he was especially talented at mixing materials to make a balanced composition out of a piece of furniture. You can see his Marshmallow Sofa being used here on a skit for Saturday Night Live with the Olsen Twins.

One designer that was way before his time was Arne Jacobsen. His unconventional and futuristic designs still seem futuristic today! 50 Years later! So, of course, many of his designs are used in films. Here is the Egg Chair being occupied by Will Ferrell in a scene of the movie Zoolander.

One chair that I can’t go without mentioning, is Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona Chair. This chair was designed for the German Pavilion at the 1929 Barcelona Exposition. Let me say that again, this chair was designed in1929!!!!! And let me tell you, this chair is just as popular as when it was presented at the exposition. If I were to compare this chair to a celebrity, it would be Victoria Beckham: in other words,seriously sexy. Here the Barcelona Chair is being used in the seriously sexy James Bond film, Casino Royale, released in 2006.

So as my research came to an end, I concluded that certain pieces of furniture are famous for a few reasons:

1. Designers became celebrities; therefore their creations became just as famous as they were.

2. During this time, art and design was really starting to move up in the world, and all the commotion about the Postmodernist ideals got a lot of attention.

3. And Finally, these designs where new, fresh, and different; a change the world was ready for.

So keep your eyes peeled. Who knows, maybe you could see a celebrity piece of furniture, in person, right here in St. Louis. Be sure to get an autograph for me.

-Samantha Smugala,