rich brilliant willing
pro forma: for the sake of form + more
"cardboard models" of RBW current show at VOLUME.
Go see the real works!
When Theo Richardson, the "rich" of
Rich Brilliant Willing, sent me 6 cardboard images of the upcoming works at
VOLUME Gallery, I was instantly mystified by their simplicity. The transformed octagonal forms captured my psyche in the first 27 seconds. The models' simple & straight forward cardboard presence brought to mind a utilitarian nature. Stacked ontop of each other & carefree.
The press release states:
"Pro Forma draws inspiration from the curious forms of AIR SHIPPING CONTAINERS, the corners of which are heavily chamfered or rounded to facilitate their fitting economically into an airplane’s curved fuselage."Later in the week, seeing these works realized, my mind shifted completely. The materials of brass, leather, lacquer and American hardwoods utilized to the fullest, complimenting and befriending the lines of the octagons.
Shipping containers oh my! Take me to the shipyard now...These works demand our attention with their quiet demeanor & confidence in the details. One work contains a leather shelf, almost appearing as a fallen gesture, a place perhaps to hold one's leather bound journal before turning in for the night.
Utilitarian, sure, but that's only the start. These works are in small editions, and is hosted by the ever fascinating VOLUME Gallery in Chicago. So looking forward to seeing these works in person!
Volume Gallery Presents
Rich Brilliant Willing: Pro FormaMarch 18 – April 3, 2011, Chicago,
328 S. Jefferson St, 1st FL“For the sake of form”"In Pro Forma, their first solo exhibition of limited edition work, Rich Brilliant Willing debuts a collection comprised of a series of personal storage pieces inspired by international air-shipping containers and what RBW identifies as a transient nature in the contemporary idea of home.
Well known for their appropriation of ready-made components, Theo Richardson, Charles Brill and Alexander Williams (Rich Brilliant Willing), Pro Forma draws inspiration from the curious forms of air shipping containers, the corners of which are heavily chamfered or rounded to facilitate their fitting economically into an airplane’s curved fuselage.
With Pro Forma, Rich Brilliant Willing borrows from the archetype of globalization and transposes it onto icons of the home: the credenza, the coffee table, the bookshelf, side table and bar cabinet. By stripping the container shapes of their original context and the furniture objects of an overly specific function, a dialogue of abstraction emerges.
First and foremost,
Pro Forma is a MATERIAL-RICH INVESTIGATION. The rugged and deliberate shapes of commercial transport are tamed by the more lavish palette of home furnishing and antique luggage: brass, leather, lacquer and American hardwoods; steamer trunks in an age of global logistics."
Founded in 2007,
Rich Brilliant Willing is an internationally renowned design studio and one of the most exciting firms currently working in the United States. They consult for an international clientele including SCP, Innermost, Artecnica, Areaware and Urban Outfitters as well as producing a self-branded collection of furniture and lighting. Designing at various scales from packaging & products to interior spaces and installations, their methodology is evident in all their work.
With a combination of technical sophistication and old-fashioned sleight of hand, they appropriate existing components and strategically rethink them. The moniker Rich Brilliant Willing, is exemplary of this process; re-imagining what was there to begin with: Theo Richardson, Charles Brill, Alexander Williams.
go to
rich brilliant willing herego to
volume gallery here...
----------------------------
