Operated by the Calgary Contemporary Arts Society

November 14, 2002 - January 4, 2003

Home
Current Exhibit
Future Exhibits
Past Exhibits

Hothouse Design Studio:
On the Leading Edge
(Lower Gallery)

Stuart Walker: designer, philosopher and Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental Design at the university of Calgary...

Walker's designs have been created to avoid time-consuming and highly skills-dependant processes and are intended to stand up to wear and tear.

Curated by Alison Miyauchi, this exhibition features Stuart Walker's experiments in creating localised and sustainable furniture designs. Examples range from seating to lighting and electronics.

Rough Cuts:
Sustainable Designs by Stuart Walker
(Upper Gallery)

Stuart Walker: designer, philosopher and Associate Professor, Faculty of Environmental Design at the university of Calgary, examines - in his works - the implications of sustainability for furniture design and manufacturing. His work raises questions and promotes discussion on various philosophical, conceptual, social and political aspects of design.

Walker has translated the theoretical ideas of localisation and sustainability into tangible form in a series of his furniture design. Using basic workshop tools, recovered materials (off-cuts, construction waste, etc.), re-used components (discarded products) and new materials and components, Walker's designs utilise inexpensive manufacturing techniques suited to local production.

Walker's designs have been created to avoid time-consuming and highly skills-dependant processes and are intended to stand up to wear and tear. His Kind of Blue chair is a demonstration of improvisation as a design process, in that the designer has to 'make do' with what is available. This piece is constructed of off-cuts and scraps used as found. The unfinished surfaces are intended to reduce costs and allow the piece to absorb daily wear. Walker's Lather Lamp utilises standard electrical components, a small concrete base, steel rod and a liquid soap bottle. This minimal design is an exploration of re-used objects combined with off the shelf parts.

Curated by Alison Miyauchi, this exhibition features Stuart Walker's experiments in creating localised and sustainable furniture designs. Examples range from seating to lighting and electronics. The selection of work is a provocative look at contemporary material culture.