philly, by design

"clean modern lines and a focus on environmentally-friendly materials" pretty much sums up the local design duo iannone:sanderson. featured at this years international contemporary furniture fair, the studio's innovative use of form and materials have been highlighted in several online and print publications. and for good reason: though green trends in design have been an recurrent theme in recent years, very few have been able to marry it with grace, style, and swagger like they have...

worth noting: the team is comprised of michael iannone and james sanderson, two young guys with a bfa in studio art and ba engineering/m.arch, respectively. educated out of state and building their biz here in philly, the two show that design doesn't have to be limited to select generations, degrees, or locales. very important to remember, if you ask me... are you hearin this, philly???

metropolis mag writeup

home and garden article

iannone:sanderson website- more links, photos, and bios too...

business meets nonprofit in the art furniture experience. benefitting both inliquid and habitat for humanity, the exercise asked local artists to enhance a simple chair provided by dane decor...




not bad, though i think the the most successful item is the least likely to get a high bid:

there's a push-pull of form/function going on in each of the entries, which really is what separates art and design, afterall... functionally, an artist slapping a print on a chair isn't terribly exciting- the graphic entries look pretty enough, but don't say much... formally, on the other hand, transforming a chair with overwhelming materiality and a sense of it's own entropy is kinda smart. i'd buy it, but a $200 opening bid is a little off my price point. maybe next year... ;)

dane decor - local contemporary furniture

inliquid- local art community news, links, happenings, etc.

habitat for humanity

post-mtv, the seaman's church institute has a new lease on life...

very excited to see the reincarnation of the once-garrish mtv house. while a somewhat traditional white cube gallery, the historic elements of the former church (like marble mouldings and crystal chandelier) offset and enrich an otherwise spartan interior. further, these transitional bits also play on the work displayed, creating an interesting dialogue between space and subject.

hmm... i'm not sure the space is presently too large-scale, however. perhaps the addition of sculptural works, seating, or even a mock-foyer could help scale it down?

of course, the current exhibition is fantastic still. make sure to check out dustin kemper's work on the second floor- really something else, that.

previous post, pre-renovation- includes info on f.u.el., the church, more pics, etc.