Torpedore

[Sgian Dubh]

Here's a new piece recently made. The main driver for this piece is external aesthetics: in other words its visual impact at first appearance. Functionality was essentiall a secondary consideration. From a design development point of view there's an exploration of some strong motifs, ie, the juxtaposition of sweeps and curves in the 'torpedo' shaped leg, the bottom edge of the bottom rail, and the front of the cabinet top and the cabinet front itself, against strong vertical lines witnessed in the tambor in conjunction with parallel lines in the rift sawn cherry legs, side panels, and bottom front rail. In contrast to the parallel lines most of which run vertically in the carcass of the cabinet, the top itself uses tangentially sawn wood for a contrasting arched grain pattern. There's also an intended trompe l'oeil effect in that each stave was individually dyed so that, when both tambours are closed, there's gradually changing colour from one stave to the next and it appears to recede further than it actually does because of the darker 'shadows' at the outer limits.

Inside the main cabinet is a sub-cabinet of hard maple with four adjustable shelves and a nest of graduated drawers on Grass Tipmatic touch release slides. The maple was chosen to present a deliberately contrasting 'clean' and uncluttered interior.

More information is likely to follow over the next two or three weeks. Apart from the images below, there's a few more images at the following link, although the page is still under construction (including a typo). At some point I'll create a second page or pages with some photographs of and discussion of the construction. Slainte.
http://www.richardjonesfurniture.com/Ca ... edore.html

 

[Dangermouse]

Love the cabinet, hate the coloured front.

 

[Harbo]

Ditto - lovely woodworking but the front colouring is not for me.

Rod

 

[MickCheese]

I love the cabinet and really love the rainbow colours.

Fantastic.

Mick

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I wonder what colour the colours will end up?

 

[rdesign]

Love this so cool really like the design. Roller desk doors are a nice feature.

 

[speeder1987]

I really like it, belongs in a gallery, feels more like art than furniture

John

 

[Tierney]

Very nice,

DT

 

[dm65]

The multi coloured front looks like someone's been watching one of those designer type program on telly and coloured in their really nice cabinet - to match some new curtains perhaps ?

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I really like it, belongs in a gallery, feels more like art than furniture John

John, you're right in a sense, because it's in an exhibition, and thanks for the kind words.

... front looks like someone's been watching one of those designer type program on telly and coloured in their really nice cabinet - to match some new curtains perhaps?

Wrong I'm afraid as I don't have time during the middle of the day to watch those property porn programmes my wife is rather fond of. I simply copied the colour scheme of some blinds we have in the bathroom as it saved me the effort of thinking it all through myself, ha, ha.

I wonder what colour the colours will end up?

Various shades of brown probably, in much the same way that the vibrant colours that were an integral part of highly decorative marquetry embellished antique furniture when new, and still extant, have have largely matured to.

As a final comment in this post, it doesn't surprise me at all that there are strong reactions to the design and its visual brightness. To fall back on a cliche, I knew when I set out to make what I'd designed that the end result would have a definite 'Marmite' factor. However, I definitley didn't want to create something that fell within the usual safe (largely) traditional 'brown' furniture category. Slainte.

 

[marcros]

Richard,

What dyes did you use on this? They are very vibrant- will they be reasonably light fast, or should I say will they be lightfast for a reaosnble amount of time?

For exhibitions, are you given a design brief, or is it something that is down to the designer? I do like these Marmite designs- if something appeals to everybody then an exhibition would be all the more dull for it. Do you make items specifically for exhibitions, or are they commissions that you then exhibit?

 

[Jacob]

Nice to see some colour! Beautifully made.
Not too bothered about the G plan, sub-scandi, St Jim shapes. Still showing brown tendencies. Perhaps you should get away from curves altogether? Tune in, turn on and drop out?
The zeitgest has taken to the woods - take a look at the Harley Gallery perhaps? harley-gallery-t70457.html

 

[Sgian Dubh]

What dyes did you use on this? They are very vibrant- will they be reasonably light fast, or should I say will they be lightfast for a reaosnble amount of time?

They are Morrells light fast dyes, spirit based, applied with a spray gun. I'm not sure how long the colour will last, but I think with today's chemistry knowledge and their formulation they'll last decades rather than just a few years.

For exhibitions, are you given a design brief, or is it something that is down to the designer?

The latter. Sometimes an exhibition piece sells, but also orders may be generated from exhibiting. There's also sometimes commissions to write because of exhibiting which I'm not especially interested in because payment for written articles is very small for the effort required, and consultancy work may also be generated.

Do you make items specifically for exhibitions, or are they commissions that you then exhibit?

The former usually in the past when I was in business, but nowadays I'm not a full time furniture designer maker in business, so I exhibit when I've got something new, and I'm in the mood to do so. Slainte.

 

[Sgian Dubh]

Nice to see some colour! Beautifully made.
Not too bothered about the G plan, sub-scandi, St Jim shapes. Still showing brown tendencies. Perhaps you should get away from curves altogether? Tune in, turn on and drop out?
The zeitgest has taken to the woods - take a look at the Harley Gallery perhaps? harley-gallery-t70457.html

Thank you Jacob. I'm not convinced by your reference to Krenov-- I've never been a fan of his work, nor a follower of his philosophy.

I like some of the pieces at the Harley gallery link. Slainte.

 

[Jacob]

[..... I'm not convinced by your reference to Krenov-- I've never been a fan of his work, nor a follower of his philosophy.

Didn't know he had a philosophy - I thought he just burbled on like a daft old hippy!
I meant the curved bits - a bit St Jim ish.

I like some of the pieces at the Harley gallery link. Slainte.

There's more than meets the eye at the Harley gallery i.e. the story behind it is more interesting than the furniture itself, or rather the furniture is much more interesting if you know the story. Essential stuff IMHO.

 

[jhwbigley]

I like it, your getting good at this Richard.

I bet it's turned a few heads at the Cube.

Didn't know he had a philosophy - I thought he just burbled on like a daft old hippy!

Sure that's not you :lol:

I've got another Krenov book apart from the one I got from you, and it is just so difficult get into. He is very odd.

JH

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I like it, your getting good at this Richard.

I believe I'm getting reasonably good at this kind of stuff John. I'm thinking about applying to go on a Furniture degree course of some sort to further develop my skills. Any recommendations? Slainte.

 

[Jacob]

I like it, your getting good at this Richard.

I believe I'm getting reasonably good at this kind of stuff John. I'm thinking about applying to go on a Furniture degree course of some sort to further develop my skills. Any recommendations? Slainte.

I'd suggest one of these.
nb I mean it!

 

[Sgian Dubh]

I meant the curved bits - a bit St Jim ish.

I'm definitely not inspired by Krenov. If you can see something Krenovian in the curved bits it's entirely coincidental.

There's more than meets the eye at the Harley gallery i.e. the story behind it is more interesting than the furniture itself, or rather the furniture is much more interesting if you know the story. Essential stuff IMHO.

The background story is interesting because someone thought it important to try and nurture and protect craft skills, I agree. I do think there is some interesting work coming out of there, including contemporary forms as well as traditional influences. Slainte.

 

[Jacob]

......

There's more than meets the eye at the Harley gallery i.e. the story behind it is more interesting than the furniture itself, or rather the furniture is much more interesting if you know the story. Essential stuff IMHO.

The background story is interesting because someone thought it important to try and nurture and protect craft skills, I agree.

There's much more to it than that. It's more about nurturing and developing design skills by getting back to roots (sometimes literally!).
The designers are the disadvantaged, with most to gain from the process.