There's something about unfinished drawings, designer's models, and creative doodles and musings that is utterly compelling, which is why we're always first in line at the Prototypes and Experiments exhibitions that have been taking place over the last couple of years at the Aram Gallery in Covent Garden. And happily Casts and Moulds, the latest and sixth installment of the series, is perhaps the best yet.

Opening last week, Casts and Moulds focuses on casting and moulding as a means of manufacture, 14 designers - among them BarberOsgerby, Michelle Oh, and Max Lamb - share the trials, tests and experiments that go into the creation of their work. Product, furniture, jewellery and architecture are all represented with an array of prototypes that represent the different stages of their development.

The models on show expose the attention that goes into even the tiniest design details as well as demonstrating whole cast projects, but it's the shoes, noone will be too surprised to learn, that we homed in on fastest. Both Tracey Neuls and Marloes ten Bhomer's clever leatherwork and free-folded cardboard models give an entirely new insight into what goes on behind the scenes, a new appreciation of their fancy footwork to boot... All in all a show worth stepping out for.


www.aram.co.uk
www.barberosgerby.com
www.michelle-oh.com
www.maxlamb.org
www.tn29.com
http://marloestenbhomer.squarespace.com/


Text: Henrietta Thompson
Images courtesy of Aram Gallery

We've always been inspired by meticulous Japanese craftsmanship and design, and would encourage anyone who might feel the same way to hop on their bike while the sun is (hopefully) still shining and head down to Tokyo Bike's super cool pop-up shop in London's Rivington Street. An expert bike mechanic on loan from Tokyo for the past few weeks has set up camp in the shop to run a series of bike maintenance workshop sessions on Tues-Thurs from 6.30-7.30pm, advising urban cyclists how best to look after and repair their treasured bikes. The Tokyo Bike temporary space, designed by London's Emulsion Architecture, echoes the brand's understated, utilitarian ethos and will be open until 31 July. The perfect way to wheel away an hour or two this week.

http://www.tokyobike.co.uk/

Watch this space: Tokyo Bike is planning to build a permanent home in our city next year, but until then it's a very good idea to join one of their designer-led cycle tours during the London Design Festival in September, which will start and finish at Designjunction in Holborn.

http://www.thedesignjunction.co.uk/
The pop-up is located at 54 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3QN.
Opening hours are:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Saturday: 11.30 - 19.30
Sunday: 13.00- 18.00
Closing Date: 31st July 2011

Text: Jacki Lang - 

Images courtesy of Tokyo Bike

Modern and contemporary designers have been given a rather handy boost thanks to the newly created Outset Design Fund.

Eight designers work has been chosen by the fund to be exhibited in the V&A during London Design Festival. Led by Christopher Wilk of the V&A and created in March this year, Outset aims to help the museum acquire the best of contemporary design and future classics. This first collection of designers works includes creations by Fredrikson Stallard, Nendo, BCXSY, Platform and Satyendra Pakhalé.

From left to right

Sofa 'Pyrenees' designed by Fredrikson Stallard is one large block of foam hand carved into a landscape creating three areas for seating.

The Cord chair was designed by nendo (Oki Sato)has spindly legs only 12 mm in diameter. This delicate chair undoubtedly one of the slimmest chairs in history but is totally functional. The secret is a slim metal frame inside hollow wooden tubes.

Table #1 designed by Fredrikson Stallard was created with the desire to use seemingly archaic methods of construction. Raw silver birch logs are lashed together with thin steel strap normally used for binding shipping pallets.

These screens designed by BCXSY (Boaz Cohen and Sayaka Yamamoto) were made by traditional craftsman Mr. Tanaka, Tokyo using disappearing crafts technique, Tatego (Japanese wood joinery).

Satyendra Pakhalé's Horse stool is part of a range of furniture made by the bell metal lost-wax process. Winding metal tread is used by rural craftspeople of central India who use the technique to make small utensils and animal sculptures.

The Cabbage Chair was designed by nendo in response to a proposal by Issey Miyake that nendo create an environmentally sustainable object suitable for life in the future. The only materials used are the paper rolls used in the making of Miyake's famous Pleats Please lines.

The Thin Black Line Series was designed by nendo. It's triumph is the clever way the disappearing lines play with two and three dimensions.

Fractal Table II designed by Platform (Ger not Oberfell, Jan Wertel and and Matthias Bär) was designed on a computer and built up layer by layer using complicated digital technology.