SLIGHTBOX
YEAR: 2024
STUDIO: Evan Chakroff
MATERIAL: Aluminum, slide film
QUALITIES: Recycled, Interactive, Shiny
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
Slightbox is a backlit display frame for a single 35mm film slide.
A photon takes about eight minutes to reach the Earth from the surface of the Sun. Photons slice through the layers of film, leaving a latent image revealed later by the chemical development process. A slide captures a moment in time, a miniature vignette of a briefly illuminated world. Can we ever capture time, hold it in our hands? What do we reveal when we shine a light on the past? What memories are best left in darkness?
TOTE TOTE
YEAR: 2024
STUDIO: Audrey Watkins
MATERIAL: Recycled tote bags, thread
QUALITIES: Recycled, Textile
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
The tote is ubiquitous in art and design culture. One part status symbol, one part marketing device, and one part handy bag, people collect and distribute totes similarly to how we used to distribute business cards. This has resulted in the Tote Tote, a bag full of bags many of us have stashed in our closets as different brands and images fall out of rotation, or when we encounter a freebie we don't need but just can't say no. Now we can have a new kind of tote tote: a tote that is a combination or reconstitution of other totes. This Tote Tote slows down the production of the tote, recycling the discards into a tote that only promotes its own tote-ness.
2024 MOON CALENDAR
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Object Projects
MATERIAL: Screen-printed cotton
QUALITIES: Textile
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
22” x 22”
A moon calendar, a cotton bandana, an annual celebration of tides and celestial bodies. Wear it, consult it, enjoy the pale pink on hunter green contrast.
$30 $15
SEA LEVEL RISE SCARF
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Donna Mena, ohnodonna
MATERIAL: Silk
QUALITIES: Textile
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
21” x 21” silk
SCARF-SCARF is a limited-run scarf and bandana project exploring the relationship of garmentry and visual communication. The scarf, as seen through the lens of a statement piece made to capture an individual's attention, holds a vast amount of power in the contents that it chooses to display on its fabric. Inspired by the garment's capacity to entice and inform, SCARF-SCARF uses illustrations to education the public on topics that fall under the intersections of architecture and urbanism. Over the last year, SCARF-SCARF has produced 10 scarves focused on architectural themes.
This newest scarf, "SF Sea Level Rise", the first of a new series focused on the environmental and climate issues facing our world today. The illustration summarizes a lengthy and link-heavy assessment produced by SFPlanning showcasing SF's vulnerability zone as effected by SRL. The article is informative and a good reference for the public's knowledge but, it's not something that's widely known unless you do a Google search, "sea level rise SF map" like I did.
If we make important information more accessible to the public in a way thats off kilter, will they be more enticed to research on their own? How can we make information more accessible irl?
NESTING CROCHETED BOWLS
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Mariah Smith
MATERIAL: Cotton, Poly-Cotton Blend
QUALITIES: Textile
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
7” x 7” x 3.5”
The nesting crocheted bowls are constructed using remnants of previous Current Objects - the 2022 and 2023 moon calendar bandanas and an OSB-printed shower curtain that had an unfortunate run-in with a candle at a pop-up.
Two nested bowls per set.
PITCHER
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Iowa State University: Ceramics and Computation and Construction Lab
MATERIAL: Ceramic, food-safe glaze
QUALITIES: 3D-printed
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
7.5”h x 4.75”
Combining 3D-printed forms and analog fabrication by YanJiu Bai, under the direction of Shelby Doyle, each piece is surfaced with glazes created by Ingrid Lilligren. Fired to Cone 6 in an electric kiln, these represent our collaboration that brings cutting-edge technology together with sustainable ceramic practices. Each piece is entirely functional and food safe.
This work is a result of a six-year partnership between the ISU Ceramics Studio and ISU Computation & Construction Lab. Both are housed in the Iowa State University College of Design. One of the most comprehensive design colleges in the country, it is home to seven departments, fostering opportunities for unique multidisciplinary collaborations.
The ISU Computation & Construction is an initiative of the Department of Architecture and is home to $1 million in digital fabrication and robotics equipment that support cutting edge teaching and research. The ISU Ceramics studio is housed in the Department of Art and Visual Culture with a focus on sustainable practices in ceramics.
The collaboration began with the development of SEKI, a collection of eighty unique vases designed for President Wendy Wintersteen’s installation in 2018. Each vase represents the integration of custom-made glazes with computational designs and clay 3D printing. An important innovation of this project was the use of Cone 6 electric kiln glazes that rely upon Iowa’s wind energy rather than gas. The palette of glaze colors was inspired by the University Museums’ Iowa College Pottery collection, thereby connecting advances in ceramic technology to its history at Iowa State.
In 2021 ISU College of Design became part of a team exploring 3D printing rural affordable housing. The cups and pitchers sold here are the result of imagining 3D printed dinnerware for a 3D printed house. The techniques demonstrated here were developed during YanJiu Bai’s Master of Science thesis Designing Access to Clay 3D Printing for Ceramic Artists.
All proceeds from the sale of the cups and pitchers will be donated to the ISU Ceramics Studio to support future collaborations and student work.
CHANDELLE
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Labo-d’
MATERIAL: Ceramic
QUALITIES: Shiny, Aggregated
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
5”h x 4.5” x 3.5”
Chandelle is a ceramic work made of glazed Buffalo wallow clay consisting of a balancing candle-holding cylinder and a truncated conical volume. The forms intersect to create a decorative object that plays on the theme of reflection and layers; a two-sided object that can be used as a candle holder on one side, and a receptacle (for a bloom) on the other. Chandelle is handmade and therefore each item is slightly different; candle not included.
SHADOW LIGHT
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: obj
MATERIAL: Glass, resin, stainless steel
QUALITIES: Distorting, Interactive
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
6.5”h x 5.25” x 3”
A series of broken shadows. A floating piece of shattered glass frozen in time expresses itself on the wall under the luminescence of a cantilevered pin light. Produced in series, each piece is named as the moment it was born.
Shattered Glass in Resin with Stainless Steel Rods
3D-Printed Light with Micro 12V LED
Power cord
CUP
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Iowa State University: Ceramics and Computation and Construction Lab
MATERIAL: Ceramic, food-safe glaze
QUALITIES: 3D-printed
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
4”h x 3.375”
Combining 3D-printed forms and analog fabrication by YanJiu Bai, under the direction of Shelby Doyle, each piece is surfaced with glazes created by Ingrid Lilligren. Fired to Cone 6 in an electric kiln, these represent our collaboration that brings cutting-edge technology together with sustainable ceramic practices. Each piece is entirely functional and food safe.
This work is a result of a six-year partnership between the ISU Ceramics Studio and ISU Computation & Construction Lab. Both are housed in the Iowa State University College of Design. One of the most comprehensive design colleges in the country, it is home to seven departments, fostering opportunities for unique multidisciplinary collaborations.
The ISU Computation & Construction is an initiative of the Department of Architecture and is home to $1 million in digital fabrication and robotics equipment that support cutting edge teaching and research. The ISU Ceramics studio is housed in the Department of Art and Visual Culture with a focus on sustainable practices in ceramics.
The collaboration began with the development of SEKI, a collection of eighty unique vases designed for President Wendy Wintersteen’s installation in 2018. Each vase represents the integration of custom-made glazes with computational designs and clay 3D printing. An important innovation of this project was the use of Cone 6 electric kiln glazes that rely upon Iowa’s wind energy rather than gas. The palette of glaze colors was inspired by the University Museums’ Iowa College Pottery collection, thereby connecting advances in ceramic technology to its history at Iowa State.
In 2021 ISU College of Design became part of a team exploring 3D printing rural affordable housing. The cups and pitchers sold here are the result of imagining 3D printed dinnerware for a 3D printed house. The techniques demonstrated here were developed during YanJiu Bai’s Master of Science thesis Designing Access to Clay 3D Printing for Ceramic Artists.
All proceeds from the sale of the cups and pitchers will be donated to the ISU Ceramics Studio to support future collaborations and student work.
MUG
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Iowa State University: Ceramics and Computation and Construction Lab
MATERIAL: Ceramic, food-safe glaze
QUALITIES: 3D-printed
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
4” x 3.375”
Combining 3D-printed forms and analog fabrication by YanJiu Bai, under the direction of Shelby Doyle, each piece is surfaced with glazes created by Ingrid Lilligren. Fired to Cone 6 in an electric kiln, these represent our collaboration that brings cutting-edge technology together with sustainable ceramic practices. Each piece is entirely functional and food safe.
This work is a result of a six-year partnership between the ISU Ceramics Studio and ISU Computation & Construction Lab. Both are housed in the Iowa State University College of Design. One of the most comprehensive design colleges in the country, it is home to seven departments, fostering opportunities for unique multidisciplinary collaborations.
The ISU Computation & Construction is an initiative of the Department of Architecture and is home to $1 million in digital fabrication and robotics equipment that support cutting edge teaching and research. The ISU Ceramics studio is housed in the Department of Art and Visual Culture with a focus on sustainable practices in ceramics.
The collaboration began with the development of SEKI, a collection of eighty unique vases designed for President Wendy Wintersteen’s installation in 2018. Each vase represents the integration of custom-made glazes with computational designs and clay 3D printing. An important innovation of this project was the use of Cone 6 electric kiln glazes that rely upon Iowa’s wind energy rather than gas. The palette of glaze colors was inspired by the University Museums’ Iowa College Pottery collection, thereby connecting advances in ceramic technology to its history at Iowa State.
In 2021 ISU College of Design became part of a team exploring 3D printing rural affordable housing. The cups and pitchers sold here are the result of imagining 3D printed dinnerware for a 3D printed house. The techniques demonstrated here were developed during YanJiu Bai’s Master of Science thesis Designing Access to Clay 3D Printing for Ceramic Artists.
All proceeds from the sale of the cups and pitchers will be donated to the ISU Ceramics Studio to support future collaborations and student work.
MOON CALENDAR
YEAR: 2023
STUDIO: Object Projects
MATERIAL: Textile, ink
QUALITIES: Interactive, Flat, Green
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
Tacked on a living room wall, worn as a head scarf, or laid out as a dinner table accessory, the 2023 Moon Calendar bandana prompts a lunar understanding of time. The bandana is also a guide to the home gardener, encouraging the syncing of harvesting cycles with moon phases.
LIQUIDPLY KNOB
YEAR: 2022
STUDIO: rockpaperscissors
MATERIAL: Plywood off-cuts
QUALITIES: Round, Recycled
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
Plywood offcuts are reframed as the main event with these hand-turned knobs. Available in three shapes—Sphere, Cone, and Cup—they can be mixed and matched as cabinet pulls or wall hooks. Each knob is unique and shows the love and care taken in reusing material remnants gleaned from job sites. Part of a larger material research program undertaken by Mumbai-based Studio Tessera.
Each knob is shipped with hardware for through-bolting. Spec for wall-mounting hanger bolt size available upon request.
$35 $20
WEIGHTED QUILT PROTOTYPE
YEAR: 2022
STUDIO: Peter Heon and Ben Dooley
MATERIAL: Nylon, fleece, 3M Thinsulate
QUALITIES: Heavy, Interactive, Aggregated, Puffy
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
The Weighted Quilt Prototype is intended for camping, picnics, laying on, laying under, sticking your arms or head through and wearing as a cape while eating cereal late at night, moving furniture, moving boxes, fort making, sound dampening, carpeting, maybe, and more.
The two pieces of the Prototype each have nine buttons and nine button holes and can be attached in a variety of ways. The padded buttons weigh two pounds each making each quilt weigh about 12 pounds. The buttons can be removed, too. It's adjustable. The quilts join together or they can be apart.
The Prototype is made of lightweight ripstop nylon and fleece, with 3M Thinsulate inside.
$600 $450
CLOUD AND CIRCLE MENORAH
YEAR: 2022
STUDIO: Object Projects
MATERIAL: Powder-coated aluminum
QUALITIES: Shiny, Flat, Folded
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
A platform for celebration, a totem of tradition, an expression of the present, and a seasonal decoration in the home: the CLOUD and CIRCLE menorahs are available in semi-matte white and glossy green powder-coated finishes.
Candles should never be left unattended and care should be taken to protect delicate surfaces from dripping wax.
$72 $40
STAINLESS-STEEL PENCIL
YEAR: 2022
STUDIO: Object Projects
MATERIAL: Stainless steel
QUALITIES: Shiny, Heavy, Interactive
DESCRIPTION︎︎︎
Twisted, twirled, and sometimes even chewed, the pencil stands in as frequent accessory to contemplation. This non-functional stainless-steel version acknowledges our discipline's shift to digital tools, yet is also deeply satisfying to hold and surprisingly heavy.
The piece is physically reflective and also meant to encourage the practice of reflection.
$75 $50