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gumption design: afro collection
thailand-based gumption design presented their 'afro' collection as part of designboom's
'asia now' exhibition at dwell on design in los angeles.
'afro' brush
a brush with a 70s afro look. the handle of the brush is in the form of a cool
'hippy' with a colourful bush of hair - the brush.
toilet brushes disguised as brightly colored 'afros'
'afro' brushes
'afro' cushions on display at 'asia now' in los angeles
image © designboom
the 'afro' series also includes a collection of brightly colored cushions, floor mats, mouse pads,
toilet brushes, cd holders and coaster.
'afro' brushes shown at 'asia now'
image © designboom
presentation of gumption design at 'asia now'
image © designboom
thailand section of the 'asia now' show
image © designboom
detail of the thailand panel showing the work of gumption design
image © designboom
Jeez, who thought of that?
It would need the usual container, maybe made of transparent plastic. The problem is that the guy would be upside down.
It became known as the "natural"l hairstyle...and women gladly stopped perming, straightening their hair. It became a fashion statement, and white people started copying it too.
The symbolism of natural African American hair is still a controversial and powerful one...there are entire blogs and magazine articles about going "natural" or trying to "be 'white" by straightening one's hair.
Creating a toilet bowl scrub brush using this symbol is just so wrong. Maybe its a generational thing but its Not retro, and certainly NOT "groovy." Maybe you should go back and read the history when this look was going on. I lived it.
This is not about hair styles..its about black people, toilet bowls, and shit!!!!
this design is just racist, stupid and uneducated... i would like to see the designers presenting their work in brooklyn....
The peverse in intervention of a dark mind is the greatest cause of all the down falls of humanity , lighten the uck up , lifes for laughing , not for picking and prodding and putting down others , cheer up you lifes not that bad is it hahahahahaha
Who would design a copy of themselves or their family to scrub out toilets?
The toilet brush is very cool at first...but then...one sees the black features. One thinks of the intended use of this product...then one thinks of all the iconagraphy of Blacks protrayed in media over the entire history of the Americas (not the 21st century)...the maids, the mammys, the dancing black faced fools, Amos & Andy, the pickininnies, the Step n fetch it (A real actor in old movies though I don't know how to properly spell his name), the watermelon eatters, and all the portrayals that would not be acceptable today.
Its the intent of the product that makes me mad. The features are of a black person.
As designers yes, we all have the freedom to create. We can create anything we want....but some of it can be hurtful. We shouldn't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater....even though we could.
for more about this product there is a 60 page discussion here:
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6571024
he does have afro hair and wears sunglasses and is skinny.
the self-ironic and funny intent might not be readable universally, but we can assure you all,
that there is no evidence of racism and there are no intentions of promoting racist feelings.
we understand all the comments of the anti-racist activists,
in fact we don't cut them off, but we feel that all this bad energy has nothing to do with the designer himself.
we just spotted that among our readers there is cliff kuang, writer for fast company magazine .
cliff, your article is misleading and we do not agree with your point of view. unfortunately there is no comment
area on fast companies' blog, so we cannot add any statement.
cliff, if you want to interview gumption, please let us know. designboom is happy to help to clarify this.
please email us.
slow hand design: thai products
southeast asia continues to step up its presence on the international design scene and thailand is seeking to become a point of reference for top-quality production. known for the country's millenary culture aboundi...
thai company palazzo: pop up furniture collec
by using a combination of various natural fiber such as water hyacinth strands, paper (partially color dyed), jute, etc. the weaving structure create a kaleidoscopic pattern onto the furniture objects.
corner 43 decor
continuing onwards from maritime memoirs, that capture the simple, yet sculptural shapes of the ocean, furniture collection 'earthly treasures' features shapes found in the forest, such as the whimsical form of mus...
gumption design: jadee stoneware
'jadee' stone ware work is a set of three pieces which reminds us of a pagoda (an east-asian tower temple) when turning the pieces upside down.
gumption: animal photo frames
the animal shaped frames are made with a paper base covered in vintage fabric.
'flower mats' by gumption design
thai designers gumption design have released a new 'flower mat' that are made from left over fabrics.
fung kwok pan: fluid vase
the fluid vase is a customizable vase that takes its form through an interactive digital design interface.
appree: ginkgo + leaf-it
the green and yellow 'ginkgo' leafs are the latest of 'leaf-it' memo pads and bookmarks.
gijs bakker / yii design
the pieces on show ranged from bamboo work and woodcarving, to ceramic and lacquer ware. the local designers, merely educated on western principles, have been challenged to cultivate a greater appreciation of the in...
lazerian paper light shades
lazerian launch a new range of paper light shades named after the stars that define the vertices,
which make up the nort...
solar winds cultural arts center
the solar winds cultural arts center is a design proposal for a large solar and wind powered structure dedicated to a wide var...
starry night interactive anima
translating the artist's paint daubs into particles governed by fluid dynamics, petros vrellis has created an interactive anima...
inga sempé: stockholm f
within the airy structure, the french designer has created the feeling of a large, open space apartment, furnished in a way tha...
RENAULT 4 ever behind-the-scenes
'horsey' by eungi kim
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