#claystudies

Text & Image: Anke Buchmann 

CREATING VALUE WHERE OTHERS CREATE WASTE

During the London Design Festival 2015 I discovered Ariane Prin‘s freshly launched hand-made homeware collection RUST, and I was immediately fascinated by its appeal and the surprising smooth haptic of the rusty vessels.

Magazins such as Wallpaper, ELLE Décoration, Dezeen, Design Boom or CASA Vogue have published her RUST range and by now it is being sold across the world. Before that, her work has been exhibited, including the Victoria and Albert Museum, Mint Gallery, Herrick Gallery and Heal’s in London, Cité de la Mode et du Design and S. Bensimon Gallery in Paris.

”THE ROYAL COLLEGE HELPED ME FIND THE WORDS TO MY IDEAS.“

While studying at the Royal College of Art the french-born product designer found her very personal leitmotif, the narrative that connects all her projects since - transforming other peoples left overs and waste into precious raw materials. Looking closely when others look away has allowed her to not only detect a design process lead by experimentation and discovery but it also let her make deep connections to a wide range of professionals, such as the locksmiths. Happy to exchange one thing for another, Ariane enjoys sharing her work with the people who allow its production through their left over materials.

In the heart of Hackney Wick, London‘s old warehousing and industrial zone, in a hidden upper floor studio, Ariane Prin creates her extraordinary RUST collection. Walking up to her workshop, I keep thinking, it must feel to her like ‘Schlaraffenland’ (german for „land of milk and honey“) working in an area surrounded by industrial materials and objects left behind on the streets. But she stays strong these days, focussing on metal dust from key cutting for her rusty range of cachepots, trays, vases, bowls and boxes. ‘There is so much more to discover’, Ariane tells claystudies***, and as long as the metal dust keeps surprising her, she will continue exploring this exceptional substance.

”THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN ORDINARY DAY.“

Every piece takes about two exciting days to produce, pouring metal dust mixed with gypsum based materials into her one-off moulds, adding another extra four months for the metal particles to oxidise. Every product shows a unique texture, varying in colour and intensity. For Ariane it is all about catching the perfect moment, when the oxidation reached its most interesting state. That is the moment, when she stops the oxidation process by applying high quality vanish.

”IN THE FUTURE I WOULD LOVE TO BE INVITED BY A COMPANY, THAT LET‘S ME EXPERIMENT WITH THEIR WASTE MATERIALS.“

Ariane is full of ideas and enthusiasm for her sustainable approach. She hopes to inspire others and make them think twice before throwing stuff away. There is a lot of value out there, waiting to be discovered. In a perfect world, Ariane dreams of an opportunity to expand her idea and collaborate with a bigger company on creating design objects out of forgotten leftovers.

I wish Ariane all the best and I am excited to see the RUST range grow even bigger in the future. Thank you for this wonderful insight into your work.

COMING UP: Ceramic Art London 2016!

Between the 8 - 10 March the leading fair for contemporary ceramics will take place at Central Saint Martins, London. Stay tuned for further updates! claystudies will be reporting on artists, talks and happenings from behind the scenes. 

Text: Anke Buchmann, Image: MANI / 29 Feb 2016

BRITTA HERRMANN

I had the pleasure to interview Britta Herrmann, founder of MANI. With her Mani Collection she created a bridge between contemporary design and traditional Italian craftsmanship. Every living accessory of the collection is an epitome of simplicity, monumentality and timelessness. 

Britta moved from Hamburg, Germany to Pistoia, Italy, where she creates her beautifully hand-made ceramics. She exhibited her work at "Salone Mobile” in Milan and the Ambiente in Frankfurt and sells the MANI collection in Italy, Germany, China and soon in Norway, Finland, Sweden, England and the Netherlands. 

Catch a glimpse of the wonderful conversation I had with Britta: 

“I FEEL IN ITALY FREE FROM CONVENTIONS. I CAN DRIVE AN OLD, DIRTY CAR AND WALK AROUND WITH MY OLD SNEAKERS.”

ANKE FOR CLAYSTUDIES: Almost 10 years ago you moved from Hamburg, Germany to Tuscany, Italy. Besides the weather conditions, what was it, that you were looking for in Italy?

BRITTA HERRMANN: I think my character is very similar to the Italian character. I like to let people be, everyone can do what he wants. I do not look too much at what others do or try to judge it. I feel in Italy free from conventions. I can drive an old, dirty car and walk around with my old sneakers. This is normal here. The italians live another luxury. Good food is important here ( best from their own garden… or the grandfather). And to meet people... to have the time for each other. In other word “arte di vivere”.

ANKE FOR CLAYSTUDIES: Your work is inspired by the “arte di vivere” of Italy and Italian architecture. The geometric shapes of your vessels also remind me of the Weimarer Bauhaus. How much does your german heritage influence your design or maybe even work ethics? 

BRITTA HERRMANN: Design is for me very important and for me it means first of all essential[s]. Smooth surfaces, perfect glazes, straight lines ! This is important to me. But I work here together with Italian artisans who were used to produce things in the same traditional way for generations. So I'm trying to realize something different: a mixture of a new design with old traditional manufacturing. To reach these results, it is necessary to try, try and try again, make the own hands dirty and try again. While being consequent, consistent and accurate... that's probably my German heritage.

And of course, a big influence comes from my hometown Hamburg. Wonderful modern architecture mixed with the old existing one showed me how beautiful "old" and "new" fit together and what "timelessness" means.

ANKE FOR CLAYSTUDIES: Your collection shows fine craftsmanship, confident lines and a skilled eye for design. What do you do yourself and what comes from teamwork or collaborations? 

BRITTA HERRMANN: The design comes from me. I usually draw down the form that I imagine on a paper table cloth. Then I start to work with different molders to get a prototype. After a process of trial and error,  … finally we find how to realize the first prototype and then I paint the design.

For the production I work with different factories in Montelupo Fiorentino or Faenza. And a very nice girl, Veronica, as a painter. [That] way I can guarantee that each piece of MANI is hand turned and hand painted.

“MANI IS SOMETHING TIMELESS THAT FITS ALMOST ANYWHERE. ON THE OLD FARMHOUSE TABLE IN AN OLD COUNTRY HOUSE, AS [MUCH] AS IN A MODERN, MINIMALIST APARTMENT O[R] LOFT.”

ANKE FOR CLAYSTUDIES: Your collections are almost too beautiful to be used on an every day basis. One could be afraid to break it. Where do you see your work fit in best? Art or Design? Does it even matter to you?

BRITTA HERRMANN: NOOO! Please! MANI IS for every day! And please no categorization! MANI is something timeless that fits almost anywhere. On the old farmhouse table in an old country house, as [much] as in a modern, minimalist apartment o[r] loft. Anyway … if I [had] to classify me ...well, I would see myself as a follower of the idea of  ‘Arts & Craft’ ...  the products from MANI are far away from mass produced items, but we have a production. Of course we work with some modern machinery - but all the pieces are made by hand with the skills of old italian craftsmanship. I'm not working, consciously, with ceramics molds and decals. If I would do that, I could also produce in China. I like the process of the craftsman. It is a part of MANI so long “mani” means “hands”. All the rest is my design.

“...TO MAKE A HANDMADE OBJECT THAT IS REALLY EXPENSIVE IS EASY... I WANT THAT THE ‘NORMAL’ PEOPLE (LIKE ME) CAN AFFORD TO [BUY] HANDMADE DESIGN OBJECTS.”

ANKE FOR CLAYSTUDIES: What was the last artist/show you’ve seen, that left you speechless? Or at least left an impression?  

BRITTA HERRMANN: At the last ‘Salone Mobile’ in Milan I was in the showroom of Paola Lenti. She is an Italian designer who works mainly with textile materials from which she manufactures furniture and carpets. I loved her showroom, the colors, the harmony ... that really inspired me. My new colors Pale Pink, Flamingo with a dot of bright yellow ..this comes from here.