Posts by Carl MH Barenbrug - Author at Minimalissimo

Kate Beck’s Form Surface

Maine based artist Kate Beck creates paintings and drawings coalesced of intensity, intimacy and silence that result from a systematic starting point of materials and geometric shape.

A particular illustration of Beck’s work I would like to share with you today is the quite wonderful and minimal Form Surface collection. This quiet, yet deliberate collection of line drawings and paintings displaying subtle gradients of soft and subdued tones, include the application of poured oil, graphite on aluminium, linen and paper. Form Surface in my opinion, strongly reflects Beck’s manifesto:

I believe white to be the most inherently beautiful colour as it carries with it the potential to simultaneously expose and negate space.

I believe black to be the most innately powerful colour as it is defined by the presence of light as well as by the absence of light.

There’s not a single piece in this collection that fails to impress me, but what do you think?

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EiMIM Pen

Dallas, Texas based industrial designer Will Hodges recently introduced me to his Kickstarter project for the production of the beautifully designed and minimal EiMIM Pen. Not disimilar to the hugely popular Pen Type-A, Hodges’s design makes use of 6061 aluminium material as well as the strongest Neodymium magnets commercially available.

The simple and elegant design of this pen has a solid, smooth surface, devoid of branding, which sits neatly into its magnetic base. Each pen will come with a choice of black or blue in 0.25mm, 0.3mm, and 0.4mm Pilot Hi Tec C insert. The EiMIM Pen will have a machined, glass bead blasted, and powder coated finish.

Having already ordered this pen, I will be sure to update you on my experience with it and provide a thorough opinion. In the meantime, I think this project is certainly worth backing.

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Pop for iOS

Feature number one should always be as few features as needed to perform the primary purpose.

This is the philosophy of newly formed development team and consultancy, Minimal Tools, who have recently released their first iOS app, Pop – a simple notepad tool to allow you to conveniently write things down as you would on a blank piece of paper, reducing friction between you and what you are trying to accomplish.

Pop rather impressively takes simplicity to the extreme by excluding any extraneous features. Just launch and start typing. From it’s quick loading time to the carefully considered typography, Pop successfully engages with its user, which many notepad apps fail to do.

I think it works very well for its intended purpose – to provide you with a single sheet of paper to quickly jot down some words, copy the text and put it somewhere else later. Simple and efficient. If anyone has downloaded Pop, please share your thoughts.

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Toby Keller’s White Series

California and Chiang Mai based photographer and designer Toby Keller has created this quite stunning minimalist series of white photographs. Beautifully executed, the White series is primarily focused on underground car parks and coastal lines, illustrating serenity and spaciousness.

I find there is such a calming effect browsing this series, which is perhaps surprising because in reality, calmness is not exactly something that is typically associated with a car park, for instance. Yet, it is here, which is testament to Keller’s work.

Perhaps equally beautiful and inspiring, is his Black photographic series. Enjoy.

Quadra Lamp

I was recently introduced to AGFronzoni.com, which celebrates the life and works of Italian minimalist designer, architect and teacher, AG Fronzoni.

In 1962, Fronzoni designed this attractive light fitting, Quadra. Made from steel with a white, black or polished finish, Quadra can be installed on brick walls or ceilings, and measures just 8.66″ x 8.66″. The lamp was nominated for a Compasso d’Oro in 2004 and is manufactured by Italian lighting company Viabizzuno.

With its simple form as a perfect square, and soft lighting, I think it’s a fine example of the great work Fronzoni has produced over the years.

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SodaStream Source by Yves Béhar

Salone Internazionale del Mobile is the global benchmark for home furnishings and this year’s edition begins tomorrow in Milan. One highly anticipated product to be presented is the new SodaStream Source system by San Francisco designer Yves Béhar as part of an installation at MOST.

The elegantly redesigned SodaStream Source is the result of a collaborative project between Béhar and SodaStream. The primary focus was on sustainability, reducing and refining the entire sparkling water and soda making experience, as well as the simplicity in aesthetics.

Béhar explains:

SodaStream uses technology to reduce the complexity and waste of sparkling water and soda, and this is the quality I focused on.

The design of Source was a process of elimination. Starting with the larger volume, we chiselled off the functional areas and sculpted transitions. Visual clarity with a single monolithic shape and a carved-out area into which the new bottle finds a home is the new visual signature. Source requires no electricity, but achieves its great feel through refined mechanical ingenuity.

A future without wasteful sparkling and soda bottles can only be welcomed. As for the appearance, who wouldn’t want this sitting in their kitchen? Beautiful.

Servus

In search of a minimal, lightweight yet practical wardrobe, I recently came across German furniture designer Florian Saul‘s elegant clothing rack, Servus (Latin for servant).

The wardrobe, with its simple and reduced form, leans against a wall, supported by two small rubber feet. To accommodate small items such as gloves and scarves, there is a removable leather bag attached to the frame. If additional space is required, two frames can be combined. The cross-connection could subsequently provide space for conventional hangers.

Although there are many similar concepts available and indeed several have previously been featured on Minimalissimo, Servus, I feel, would serve me well.

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Ellsworth Kelly in Black & White

The incredibly talented American painter and sculptor, Ellsworth Kelly is one of the main protagonists in Colour Field painting. Many of his pieces beautifully combines form, colour and space with a strong reduction of the visual language.

Kelly’s current exhibition located at the Museum Wiesbaden in Germany is devoted solely to his work in black and white. His black and white works now account for about one-third of his extensive oeuvre and provide information about the stages of his artistic development since the late 1940s. The artist has closely collaborated with Haus der Kunst to present a selection of 50 paintings and reliefs, supplemented by drawings and photographs.

This stunning and minimalist exhibition runs from 2 March to 24 June 2012. How I’d love to pay it a visit.

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Imagine with Lego

German advertising agency Jung von Matt have created this refreshingly imaginative print campaign to advertise Lego. These charming and minimalist printed ads, although perhaps not entirely original, are interpretations of a selection of widely known cartoon characters, created using blocks of Lego. Refreshing because of its minimalism, which is seldom found with Lego pieces these days, and its appeal because Lego can be enjoyed as a child and as an adult.

Clever, engaging and fun. I’ll refrain from spoiling that fun though. Do you know who is who? I’m sure you do.

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Dual Cut

Hong Kong born and Canada based designer Kitmen Keung has collaborated with Belgian furniture label Sixinch on their début project, Dual Cut – a modular furniture piece that employs the simplest production processes true to its materials with minimal wastage.

The design features two ergonomically comfortable L-shaped foam blocks and a multi-formation ability to compose a one seater with a side table, a chaise lounge or a corner table. Dual Cut is available in Light Grey and Dark Grey and with a three-layer-system coating, it’s suitable for both indoor and outdoor use.

The designer explains:

Dual Cut was designed with a dedication to Sixinch’s urethane cut technology, which is processed by data without the need of molding. It was an experiment to minimise the production process and material wastage, and more importantly to maximise its function values and flexibility in real life.

Not only does this look good, but it’s an effective and practical way of occupying restricted spaces in the home.

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