Vivid Gallery in Rotterdam recently presented an exhibit that bridged the art/design divide. New pieces by Joost van Bleiswijk and Kiki van Eijk were shown side by side, which emphasized the juxtaposition of hard and soft materials. Working solely with thick steel plates and a blowtorch (sounds like a masculine enterprise, doesn’t it?), van Bleiswijk created the “no screw no glue rough” edition. A collection of “sculptures that could be art pieces,” they can also be practical—“you can use them as tables or cupboards.” Welded slabs create a geometric network of right angles. These hard lines can serve as surfaces, turning the collection into bookshelves and display cases: furniture that might serve Edward Scissorhands or Jack Skellington (AKA The Pumpkin King).

At Vivid Gallery: New Work. Designed by Joost van Bleiswijk and Kiki van Eijk

Steel, Brass, and Ceramic Objects

In stark contrast, van Eijk presented limited edition “autonomous objects” made of brass wire with added ceramic parts. Entitled “Floating Frames,” these pieces are airy and light: “the construction looks like little ink drawings.” Van Eijk explains the transmogrification thusly: the pieces “express her freedom of sketching in objects as if they were real life 3D sketches.” Although they are realized forms, they recall two-dimensional drawings, which make the objects appear ghostly. The squiggles crafted from the brass wire resemble the meandering doodles of a child’s mind, but the added ceramic pieces give “Floating Frames” some unexpected weight. A pendant lamp offers an opaque ceramic shade. A candleholder peaks in a ceramic votive cup. A grandfather clock gets crowned with a cumbrous ceramic clock face.

Via Arbitare.