Lo-Fi things that are made mostly by hand, but which at the same time look like they were completely printed on a 3D printer or came out of ultra-modern machines with a new level of processing of materials is a new trend. Craftsmen are looking for new forms to match the technological language of the new millennium. They often manage to do this more subtly than the most powerful machines. Let’s figure out exactly what tricks designers use to deceive our perception.
Matthias Bengtsson
The technique that helped the Dane get into a world-class gallery space with his first work is hand-joined thin (3 mm) layers of clay. The Slice chair consists of dozens of layers seemingly made on a 3D printer, created by laser using a special computer program. The first chair made from glued clay layers was created in 1998, later versions made of wood appeared.
Lo-Fi designer Phil Cuttances
London designer Phil Cuttance works with a special technique using jamesonite, a water-based composite material with the properties of concrete. From it he makes vases and various accessories, various surfaces. All items are molded by hand. Sometimes the designer uses silicone molds for them, sometimes he processes them manually on a special machine. The end result is amazing: it is quite difficult to believe that 3D printing and CNC were not used in their creation. “I am interested in creating objects whose form, often detailed and visually complex, belies the hand-crafted, lo-fi processes by which they are created,” the designer explained. To create the Faceture vases, Phil uses a sheet of plastic with teragonal divisions applied, then folds the shape by hand,
Lo-Fi designer Sydney Hutter
Designer Sidney Hutter works with glass using a special technique: layers of colored glass are connected to each other, creating the effect of 3D printing. Hutter works in the so-called “cold glass” technique. It takes a huge amount of time to create an object made in this way. Vases are non-functional: they are not intended to hold flowers. “In my vases, instead of flowers, there is light and color. Color reflection is one of the most important components of my work. I’m currently passionate about combining glass and LED light to literally bring things to life.” Hutter still works in his workshop, which opened in 1980, and hopes to discover many more new effects. Hutter’s Colored Uniques is presented by Chesterfield Gallery.
Lo-Fi designer Rasmus Fenhann
Sakyu bench by Rasmus Fenhann, one of the most talented Danish designers, is created from fragments of solid Oregon pine glued together. The three-dimensional design on the surface was created using a CNC router, but all other sanding was done by hand using Japanese planers and profiled scrapers. The legs are made from two wedge-shaped pieces of Oregon pine joined by dovetails (walnut wood was used). Final stage: surface grinding and treatment with alkaline soap. “Sakyu” means “sand dune” in Japanese. The wave pattern is based on sine curves, which can be calculated mathematically. This pattern creates an interesting play of light and shadow and resembles waves on a sandy beach. The 3D pattern also provides an interesting tactile sensation, and the soft curves make the pine wood seat pleasant to use. The Japanese title reflects the important role of Japanese craftsmanship and culture as a source of inspiration in Fenhann’s work. The designer prefers meditative processes in surface treatment – this is the only way, in his opinion, to convey the tactility of materials.
Brothers Verhoeven
Dutch twin brother duo Verhoeven Twins are known for their lo-fi experiments. The most striking example is their Cinderella Table, created in 2005. The table is produced in a limited edition of 20 pieces. First, a silhouette of the table was created in a computer program. It was then hand-glued from 741 layers of machine-treated plywood and sanded. All the details were adjusted to each other so precisely that there was a complete feeling that the wood had become “liquid” or was able to drape like fabric. This table is inspired by baroque chests of drawers. The table has been included in all collections of advanced design as an ideal example of technocraft, since, along with craft practice, the brothers also used special machines to achieve a “fabric effect” in wood.
Petra Dahlström
Petra Dahlström also uses lo-fi techniques in her Carbon Black porcelain panels. White, hand-cast porcelain sheets with traces of soot, similar to a digital drawing, are the work of Danish artist Petra Dahlström. The designer held the porcelain at a certain angle above the flame from the candle: thus, black stripes remained on the surface. The edge processing was also done in a special way: wet clay is stretched into sheets 8 mm thick, and the edge is formed by cutting and scraping. Some fragments of the edge are re-wetted and stretched into thin fringed projections. The sculpture sheets are pressure dried again to prevent cracking. They are then fired at a temperature of 1260 C, laid out in a large industrial kiln on the island of Bornholm. And after firing, each sheet is held over a candle flame. The Carbon Black project emerged from the designer’s investigation into what happens when fire and heat are treated as a sculptural material. In a process reminiscent of photography, soot adheres to the porcelain, leaving an imprint of flame – alive and uncontrollable.
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