{"id":333652,"date":"2019-06-15T11:00:03","date_gmt":"2019-06-15T15:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=333652"},"modified":"2021-12-15T06:44:12","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T11:44:12","slug":"the-process-materials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/the-process-materials\/","title":{"rendered":"The Process: 5 Makers Who Use Surprising Materials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Christopher<\/a>
Christopher Boot’s Petra III pendant light<\/a> is made of quartz, in smoky, clear and rose versions (click to see the finished fixture).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

As any creator knows, medium means as much as form when it comes to executing a vision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Material is the vehicle through which artists express themselves, or at least work out the problems knocking around in their heads. It also allows them to push the boundaries of form, subverting our expectations and upending convention. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, we spotlight five designers who craft exquisite pieces from unconventional substances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Doug Johnston<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Doug<\/a>
7H pendant light<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Brooklyn artist Doug Johnston<\/a> had been crafting his gleefully misshapen vessels from cotton rope<\/a> for about a year when he noticed that the white thread he was using transmitted light beautifully through the rope. \u201cThe first pieces were pretty rough, but I found the all-white rope had quite a lot of glow when internally lit, and the lighting really enhanced the texture of the coiled rope on the interior,” Johnston says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using the same process for his ultra-utilitarian totes, baskets and sculptural vessels, the artist coils the braided cotton and nylon cords, letting the materials dictate the form. Zig-zag stitches in heavy-duty nylon hold the smoothly curving paraboloids together. The result is a group of unique conjoined forms that resemble sliced-off bodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using industrial material does have drawbacks. \u201cAll that rope gets heavy, and I have to do a lot of awkward maneuvering around the sewing machine,\u201d says Johnston. In addition, since the rope was produced without aesthetics in mind, it\u2019s not uncommon to find oil or dirt in the crevices. This may require part of a piece to be remade. \u201cIt’s a consequence of the materials I have chosen to work with,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n\n\n\t

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More Doug Johnston<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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