| glass workshop, kitengela, kenya 2000...our own western designs have been recycled and transformed into a 'bush version'..................................... | |||||
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| glass workshop, kitengela, kenya 2000 by simon barteling and arnout visser........ july 2000 'both of us are designers of functional products, specializing in glass. in the past we have worked on extremely varied projects. these included commissions from droog design, on which we worked in collaboration with them, but we also have developed products on our own, some of which we produce ourselves. when one develops new products, one constantly runs into problems. the first comment a company invariably makes is that it is not possible. our attitude is that there are at least three solutions for every problem, and so it comes down to finding the best one. this approach also worked astonishingly well in africa. we travelled to kenya on our own accord and in close collaboration with a team of kenyan and international glass experts we worked enthusiastically on a spectacular series of glass pieces. with the love of glass as a binding factor, we learned from them and they learned from us. the quality of glass in kitengela might be considered problematic, our designs deliberately take advantage of the specific qualities of bush glass. its irregularity and refractoriness lend it special texture and colour. taking its limitations as a challenge and using the great figurative qualities of the kenyan glass blowers has led to inspired products: tiles for floors or walls, lamps, glasses, carafes, shakers and sculptures. an example of products that have evolved from this collaboration between two continents are the lighthouse lamps . in these objects, our own western designs have been recycled and transformed into a 'bush version'. the original designs are strict, geometric, and have an industrial character. with the 'bush version', on the contrary, each piece is unique - a new way of working that will let consumers of the future choose their favourite specimen. a product becomes more than an inanimate object, having a unique character of its own, just like a domestic pet. subtle variations are what evokes this bond. a serial product becomes a series of products. coca-cola crate lamps: in kenya coca-cola is sold straight from sea-containers. the design of this lamp came about in a spectacular way by blowing glass into a wooden mould based on an empty coca-cola crate. the lamp fits into an empty crate; this is a safe and easy way to transport the lamps, as the crates can be stacked. the idea is to put the lamps into the empty crates that are sent back in the empty containers to the US and start a business. the lamp comes in both hanging and floor models. lighthouse lamp: the lighthouse-lamp was also recycled, and is now transformed into a sturdy lampshade that hangs from a knot in the wire. grinding the glass in places made the reflector. for more info see http://www.barteling.nl/simoneng/introbgframe.htm ---  ------- monthly designboom newsletter ------- ------- ? comments and contact us ? ------- |
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