{"id":339055,"date":"2020-02-14T12:40:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-14T17:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/?p=339055"},"modified":"2021-12-15T06:20:22","modified_gmt":"2021-12-15T11:20:22","slug":"the-process-traditional-crafts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.1stdibs.com\/blogs\/the-study\/the-process-traditional-crafts\/","title":{"rendered":"The Process: 5 Makers Working in Traditional Crafts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Unfinished
Unfinished hand-painted wallpaper panels in Pictalab<\/a>‘s Milan studio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We may live in the Age of Technology, but many artisans today find tremendous creative power in production processes of less-mechanized times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From weaving to painting to metalworking, these five designers rely on traditional artisanal methods to handcraft their furniture and decorative objects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Porky Hefer<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\""Mud<\/a>
Porky Hefer in his Mud Dauper cane sleeping pod<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

South African designer Porky Hefer<\/a> \u2014 who goes by his childhood nickname and his actual last name \u2014 is known for quirky yet comfy furniture. The pieces tend to be made from unconventional natural and artificial materials, but the sine qua non in his process is an emphasis on local craftspeople and techniques. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of Hefer\u2019s piece are inspired by birds’ nests. “Birds are adaptive,\u201d he tells Introspective<\/em><\/a>. “They use whatever they can find \u2014 man-made materials, too, which gave me the idea of using truck tires, package strapping and other discarded elements in the seats. The materials I used had to be recurring and sustainable, and I had to be able to get them easily.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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J.M. Szymanski<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Horse<\/a>
J.M. Szymanski horsehair and iron stools<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI sit on an idea for a long time, usually months,\u201d says Bronx-based metal-master designer Jake Szymanski<\/a>. His meditative process often takes the form of walking through the rooms of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with no agenda, hoping to stumble on inspiration. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Szymanski is known for striking steel pieces that evoke the metalwork of past eras. In his horsehair and carved-iron stool<\/a>, each detail is carefully hand-carved, including the slight bevels on the legs. An iron ring supports the hand-stitched leather and horsehair tassel, while \u201cthe surface texture gives it warmth and richness,\u201d the designer says. “I like to contrast steel by incorporating materials like horsehair, cast glass, plaster, stone and leather.” A natural black patina completes the look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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Par-Avion Co.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Par-Avion<\/a>
Par-Avion<\/a> cofounder Simon Cass handweaving the seat of a stool<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am very interested in both Scandinavian and Japanese designs and processes,\u201d says Simon Cass, cofounder with his wife, Monica Cass, of Par-Avion Co<\/a>. \u201cThey reflect a minimalist aesthetic and a focus on natural materials while being highly engineered for function and longevity.\u201d Not surprisingly, he cites Hans Wegner<\/a> and George Nakashima<\/a> as two of his inspirations for his stools<\/a>. Created in his studio in the medieval town of Norfolk, England, the pieces, with their woven seats, resemble products from an earlier time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The materials and methods Cass employs are local and time-honored. \u201cWe favor British timbers, predominantly oak, which was used as the structural wood on sailing ships,\u201d he says. “Using traditional techniques passed down to us by basketmakers and willow workers, we incorporate white willow rods from Somerset to make our own split-willow skein for these seats.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cass utilizes 2-D computer-aided design (CAD) to turn his ideas \u2014 which often come to him while walking his dog \u2014 into furniture. The technology enables him to tweak shapes and proportions with astounding ease and accuracy. \u201cSometimes, the vision in my head turns out exactly how I imagined,\u201d he says. \u201cOther times, I have to re-engineer it completely.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next step may be a printout followed by a 3-D CAD rendering. Once a design is nearly finalized, a silhouette is drawn on old-school butcher paper and tacked on a wall. This allows for closer inspection, Cass explains, so that \u201cthe effects of foreshortening can be seen and corrected\u201d before the piece is moved to full-scale production. <\/p>\n\n\n\t

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More Par-Avion Co.<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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