Faceture by Phil Cuttance

This beautiful work station is designed by Phil Cuttance. A mechanical craft table he uses to individually create vases, lampshades and small tables as part of a project called Faceture.

The moulds are handmade from plastic sheets and formed into casts, each assembled differently to ensure a distinct surface pattern and shape every time. By turning the casting jig, the fast drying resin is rolled around the hollow template covering every facet, leaving behind the object. 

I love the idea of a self contained work table with multiple features, and the gradual procedure that it establishes. It's that slow process requiring someone's undivided attention to each item that signifies the craftsmanship of Faceture.

Faceture by Phil Cuttance

Faceture by Phil Cuttance

Faceture by Phil Cuttance 

Video and images by Petr Krecji, copyright Phil Cuttance 2012

Geodesically interactive magazine cover by Paperlux & Novum

As far as magazine covers go, I think this colourful interactive beauty has to be one of, if not my all time favourite.

It is the work of design studio Paperlux for the graphic design magazine Novum who have scored the surface of the paper in a network of triangles. It can be moulded and shaped by the reader into 3D forms and structures, emphasising the haptic character and flexibility of paper.

I love how tactile and playful it is.  It explores the current tech trend for all things 3D in a non-digital way, another example of that analogue backlash against the technological era. The palpability of the cover makes it interactive and accessible in such an innovative way. I can imagine a cover like this on a magazine for the blind and visually impaired, the colours they use certainly make for a spectacular impact, but it could be equally as beautiful visually and more importantly, equally touchable in white.

The faceted cover was inspired by the brilliantly named Buckminster Fuller and his equally fantastic geodesic domes. The geodesic dome is a spherical or part spherical structure made up of adjoining triangles (the strongest two dimensional shape), forming a shelter designed to cover the maximum possible area without internal supports, making it a super efficient space.  I find the whole concept fascinating, especially as an energy efficient model and how the design made shelter more economically available to people.  There is more about it all on the Buckminster Fuller Institute site.

Paperlux recreated the structure in paper using 140 die cuts to be precise, it was an intricate process carried out and overseen by the designers for each and everyone of the 15,000 copies. 

You can watch a video of the creation process below. And checkout the Paperlux website for their portfolio full of more beautiful projects.

Novum 11/11 – Making Of Cover from Paperlux on Vimeo.

Teeing Off, Green Jackets and Eagles

See the full gallery on Posterous

 

This was a photoshoot from the first term of my final year at UCLan. We were given the task to promote a local independent retailer in Preston by creating a set of evoking and interesting images. My group was given The Golf Store, Marsh Lane, Preston.

 

 

 

We set our scene in the 1950’s, when golf became a sport, no longer just for the rich but for everyone.

 

The world of golf has its own glossary of terminology, with different words and phrases for every part of the game; from the scores (‘birdie’), to parts of the course (‘bunker’) to the equipment (‘mashie niblick’)

 

When researching all the terms we found plenty/too many terms to play on and inspire a series of photos. However there were three which stood out as holding a narrative, following the order in which they might come up in the game or tournament.

 

 

Tee / teeing ground / teeing off

The first shot played on any hole of the course and what players practice on the driving range. We have played on the word ‘tee’, replacing golf balls with tea cups and setting up and afternoon cuppa between 2 of our models

 

Sweet spot

The ideal area of the club with which to hit the ball for a perfect shot. Here we chose to recreate the iconic image of a golf ball in the mouth with white speckled gobstoppers that look similar to golf balls

 

Dance Floor

Another name for the putting green. The perfect location to pose in some 50’s style jive and swing dance moves

 

Eagle

An eagle is a score of 2 under par. Stella the eagle courtesy of Turbary Woods, was the perfect and a beautiful literal representation

 

Green Jacket

A green blazer is given and passed on to the winner of the tournament and captain of the golf club. A fashion shoot in Bon magazine inspired the shot where our model is emerging from the hedge which acts as a second green jacket

 

 

 

 

The photos were displayed in an exhibition we staged ourselves in Preston town centre, promoting the local independent retailers.

 

Generous THANK YOU’s go to my fellow stylists: Vickie Bertram, Emma Norminton, Sophie Tapsell and Kate Taylor, photographer Mark Prescott, the team at Turbary Woods Owl and Bird Sanctuary and Stella the eagle, star of the day.

 

All images copyright Vickie Bertram, Emma Norminton, Ellie Osborne, Sophie Tapsell and Kate Taylor 2010. 

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The Itch of the Golden Nit

Last night I watched a super little film called 'The Itch of the Golden Nit', made almost entirely by children. I came across the project the other day in the Telegraph magazine.  It’s the Tate Movie Project for the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad.

They have got children involved at every stage possible, from creating the narrative and story, drawing and illustrating the artwork (all illustrations by children)  and recording sounds and the score. They have been holding workshops at art galleries all round the UK and touring the country with a mobile movie studio, a touring truck visiting schools, festivals inspire children

The project’s online presence seems interesting too. Through the Tate Movie website they have created this big community of kids (I think it said about 20 thousand or so!) open to all 5 -13 year olds,  and provided them with more opportunities to be involved in the film, from designing more characters to voting on who will voice the characters . The website is also designed to teach kids about the process and development of making a film, how all the elements come together.

The Itch of the Golden Nit was great to watch too. It was obviously made by children, but that was the real charm. It was so colourful; really bold. Such a fresh visual identity, naive but with a real complexity and sophistication about it too. 

The imaginations of the children are fantastic, the characters and narratives they created were genius. And I found myself laughing at some brilliant lines, perhaps it's just a childish side of me coming out. 

Either way I think the whole approach is, and has been great: fantastic ways to reach kids, what a brilliant way to inspire creativity and get them involved and excited.

The video above is from the Telegraph article, about The Making of the film.

You can watch the Itch of the Golden Nit on iPlayer.