In May of last year, the New York arts community was shocked and saddened by the death of thirty-five-year-old designer Tobias Wong. Blurring the lines between conceptual art and design, Wong’s work questioned the value system of objects and pretensions of designers with humor and wit. Now, in honor of his life and work, nine NYC-based designers have come together to create Brokenoff Brokenoff, an exhibition of new works that reconsider and reinterpret Mr. Wong’s design legacy, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection and humor. (Gallery slideshow below.)

Wong was a talented designer and provocateur, as well as a master of clever expropriation (take, for example, This Is Not A Lamp, his Phillipe Starck Bubble-Club-chair-turned-lamp, or his gold-plated McDonald’s coffee stirrers). He was also a dear friend to the nine Brokenoff Brokenoff participating designers, who include Todd Bracher, Dror Benshetrit, Brad Ascalon, Stephen Burks, Joe Doucet, Josee Lepage, Frederick McSwain, Marc Thorpe, and David Weeks.

Reflecting on his friendship with Wong, Todd Bracher says, “My relationship with Tobi was very subtle and unspoken. I’d known him for many years through his work and personally only for about a year before his death. In that year, I felt as though my exchanges with him were sort of out of body-from mind to mind, without sounding odd-meaning we just simply ‘got’ each other. He was a sincere person whose wit and spirit cut through everything, and if you were a like person the bind became instant and strong. He has been and will continue to be greatly missed.”

Bracher’s exhibition piece, called Secondhand Romance, was inspired by Wong’s glass candlestick and smoking mitten. “The concept is a revisited candlestick where instead the hero is the cigarette,” Bracher says. “It is about taking pleasure and finding intimacy in something some see as disgusting and others see as wonderful. The idea is as Tobi had defined in his work, crossing boundaries. Saying that cigarettes too are wonderful, beautiful and sexy. They are not to be seen as wholly negative, and in some ways, even worshiped, indulging in its odor and pattern of waffling smoke.”

Describing his piece, Dror Benshetrit says: “I met Tobi while I was working on one of my first products, the Vase of Phases. The project appealed to Tobi and he approached me about including it in the Terminal 5 show at JFK. I was excited about the opportunity, especially because I appreciated his work and his vision. I admired him as a designer, artist, and thinker. In this tribute to Tobi, the vase is a symbol for our first encounter, and plays homage to Tobi’s life as a phase.”

Various Projects and Bondtoo, a new creative space in Manhattan, were close collaborators and friends of Wong’s as well, and realized his The Times of New York Candle with a limited-edition run of 1000. Describing the history behind the piece, Josee Lepage says that Wong “thought of himself, more than anything, as an observer. One of his last concepts was The Times of New York Candle. Wong saw the candle as both a tribute to the iconic newspaper and as a nostalgic commentary on printed media. To capture the olfactory essence of black ink on newsprint, a candle scent has been developed that would include guaiacwood, cedar, musk, spice and floral hints, with a powdery note and velvet nuance.”

Other pieces include Frederick McSwain’s Die, a portrait of his friend made of 13,138 die (one for every day of Wong’s life), which references Wong’s early installation work and the concepts of uncertainty and risk taking so integral to his work, and Marc Thorpe’s Call Me or Copy Me, a version of Wong’s personal business card, which Thorpe transformed from plastic to gold. According to Thorpe: “I was introduced to Tobias Wong in 2001. He handed me his plastic stencil business card and said, ‘Call me or copy me.’ The business card was the essence of his design intention: to subvert the value of objects, challenge the definition of status and question originality.”

BrokenOff BrokenOff runs through tomorrow at:

Gallery R’Pure
3 East 19th Street
New York City

For more information, visit brokenoffbrokenoff.com.

Images courtesy of Gallery R’Pure, Todd Bracher, and Dror Benshetrit.

Trove, an NYC-based design house specializing in wall coverings, pushes the limits on scale and repetition with unexpected patterns running 12 feet high and 3-6 feet across. Led by artists Jee Levin and Randall Buck, Trove creates design-forward, eco-friendly and recyclable prints on commercial-grade paper, using high-quality, non-toxic, wax-based coatings and archival inks, which boast a lifespan of 140 years. Trove’s designs have decorated the walls of several high-profile locations, including Nobu Restaurants’ private dining rooms, Club Monaco, Fairmont Hotels, W Hotels, McCann Erickson, Suffolk University and celebrity residences.

Trove’s first creations were inspired by a 100-year-old flower market in the middle of Manhattan, and subsequent collections have been inspired by natural elements. Fuoco (below) is based on a historic photograph of Teatro La Fenice, the famed Venice opera house. Literally translated, “La Fenice” means “the Phoenix” or “rise from the ashes” – the photograph was originally taken after the theater was rebuilt following a fire that completely destroyed it in 1836. The rebuilt theater, from which the pattern is constructed, sadly no longer exists, as it also burnt to the ground in 1996. Fuoco addresses the concept of the beholder/beholden. Are we examining the audience or are they examining us?

Ciel (also below) references the famous line, “There’s no place like home.” According to Trove, at a time when inclement weather displaces thousands – from Alabama to Japan to Italy, Indonesia, and Haiti – we’ve all come to realize just how important home is. It is a physical oasis where we take shelter from the world and, at the same time, the imaginative interior where we have the power to envision our own world.

Sargasso is named for the Sargasso Sea, “the only sea without shores.” According to Trove, this print speaks to the magnanimity of our natural resources. Again, we’ve recently witnessed the damage water can cause, yet ironically, one of the first needed supplies on disaster sites is water – both the profusion and deficiency were deadly. Water is powerful, dangerous, and crucial to our existence. Sargasso aspires to portray the tranquility, the beauty, and the healing force of water.

The company’s latest collection, which will debut at this month’s ICFF, returns to the elemental beauty of nature. Vertere (below), meaning to turn, references both the season’s changing leaves and the ever-changing human heart.

For more information, visit www.troveline.com.

*above: Fuoco

*above: Fuoco, detail

*above: Ciel

*above: Sargasso

*above: Sargasso, detail

*above: Vertere, from Trove’s latest collection.

*All images courtesy of Trove.

Blu Dot is determined to make good design accessible to everyone by offering top quality, contemporary designs at affordable prices. At the same time, the Minneapolis-based furniture design firm stands out for its laid-back attitude and sense of humor – no stuffy design hierarchy here, just quality work and playful presentation.

Partners John Christakos, Charles Lazor and Maurice Blanks launched Blu Dot in 1997. “The three of us were college friends and shared a passion for art, architecture, and design. After we left college and began to furnish our first homes, we didn’t like the stuff we could afford and we couldn’t afford the stuff we liked. We figured we were not alone and we were naïve enough to try and do something about it.”

Describing their work environment, they say: “Blu Dot is fast-paced and rewarding, but most importantly we play croquet every Friday at 4:00.” Their goal is to bring good design to as many people as possible through a collaborative process that creates useful, affordable and desirable products.

And that collaborative approach is working; Blu Dot was honored with the editors award for overall “Body of Work” at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) earlier this month. Check out pieces from their latest line below…

above: Rook Lamp: You don’t need to be skinny to be beautiful (take that Real Good Chair!). This little light of ours is, unapologetically, a bit chunky- and we think it’s pretty hot. It’s also a confident show off: Rook can sit on three legs, but he prefers to sit on one! Solid walnut with an off-white linen shade and a gray 80” cloth cord. $199

*above and below: Toro: Ole, motherf#@!xer! You will be hanging (literally) in style in the thick, saddle leather sling of this lounge chair. It’s comfortable and marvelous all at once. Choose between day (natural leather sling with white-stained, solid beech frame) or night (black-tanned leather sling with black-stained, solid beech frame). $999

*above: Cant Desk: A cantilevered silhouette sets the stage for hard work. Or update your page so everybody knows that you just bought a sweet desk. Desktop is in a warm walnut veneer with solid walnut legs, and your choice of grey or bright red powder-coated steel accents. $599

*above and below: Flat Out: The name says it all. Sit up or sleep it off. Quickly convert from upright lounging to horizontal sprawl. Playful contrast stitching, kicky French seams, and a solid stainless steel base add pizzazz to the straightforward yet inviting form. $999

All images courtesy of Blu Dot.

Diesel teams up with cutting-edge furniture brands Moroso and Foscarini to expand beyond the fashion world into furniture and lighting. Their “Successful Living from Diesel” range hit the US market during last weekend’s ICFF. Approaching the home furnishing world with the same energetic style that’s made it such a hit in the fashion world, “Successful Living” was inspired by edgy music, a creative spirit, and a need to express one’s individuality. Now, Successful Living will be available through retailer The Future Perfect of Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Recurring themes in both the collection’s furniture (Moroso) and lighting (Foscarini) pieces include the ideas of “Camp” and “Rock.” The Camp theme implies mobility and a nomadic lifestyle, as evidenced by portable furnishings, often incorporating tent-like, canvas materials. The Rock theme has a double meaning: first, as in Rock and Roll, captured through elements like punky, metallic studs and second, more literally, through the rough-textured material inspiration for items like the hanging Rock lamp.

Check out some highlights below!

*above: Fork table lamp, from Foscarini, recalls “a casual camping lifestyle,” with a canvas shade with visible seams and metal grommets that attach it like those used to tie down tents. Fork “emits a warm homey light, like a tent illuminated in the dark woods.”

*above: Fork floor lamp from Foscarini.

*above: Glas from Foscarini reinterprets the classic work light used in warehouses and factories worldwide. Available in hanging and table versions.

*above: Rock, also from Foscarini, recalls an active volcano with its dark, lava-like exterior, split to reveal sparkling crystals inside, with hundreds of asymmetric golden facets that reflect the beams of light.

*above: Overdyed Table by Moroso. The Overdyed series of wood furniture includes a lounge chair, side chair, rectangular coffee, and round side table. The ragging paint technique used to finish the wood comes in Indigo Blue or Weathered Gray and reveals its natural markings for a more vintage effect. Frames are Raw Black lacquered steel.

*above: Overdyed Lounge Chair from Moroso.

*images courtesy of Diesel

Founded in 2005 by Eva Milinkovic and Kriston Gene, Tsunami Glassworks was born out of what its partners saw as “the need for bright and edgy expression in the design industry.” Embracing simple, clean shapes and tactile designs, Tsunami’s beautiful, playful pieces come in hand blown, cast and kiln formed glass.

For this year’s ICFF, the Canadian design firm presents their new “Hypervoxel” chandelier and a new pastel color palate for their popular Tubes collection.

Hypervoxel is a free blown glass chandelier whose organic forms mimic weightless liquid floating in space. This versatile series can be configured in small or large groupings, with halogen or LED lighting, and is customizable by color and size.

And for 2010, the Tubes vase series – an ArtSlope favorite – is now available in mint, opal rose, vanilla, robins egg blue or lavender.

*above: Tubes in robins egg blue

*above: Hypervoxel chandelier

For more info, visit tsunamiglassworks.com.

*All images courtesy of the designers.

In a small East London studio, designers Yvonne and Rebecca Drury – the masterminds behind the MissPrint label – hand draw the illustrations that will ultimately be hand silkscreened on MissPrint wallcoverings, fabrics, and interior accessories. Simultaneously playful and peaceful, their bespoke prints offer a modern twist on classic prints, and are mix and matchable to accommodate almost any environment.

This weekend, MissPrint will launch new wallpaper designs and woven fabrics at New York’s ICFF. Their “Dandelion Mobile” wallpaper (see below) has been very well received since its launch in September 2009. Due to its success MissPrint are adding two new colors: Porcelain with Powder Blue and Mist Green with White. The illustration style is reminiscent of the fifties with a contemporary twist featuring stylized seed heads.

The popular “Leaves” design (also below) will be unveiled as a new addition to the wallpaper range, in four colors and also as a high quality woven fabric. The organic nature of the design is balanced by a geometric feel, which fits perfectly into their current collections.

All MissPrint products are manufactured in the UK, and are produced in the most environmentally friendly way. The complete wallpaper range is PEFC certified; it is printed with organic pigment inks, which are non-toxic, free of heavy metals and classed as non-carcinogenic.

For more information on MissPrint, visit www.missprint.co.uk.

*images courtesy of:

The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), New York’s annual, premier furniture design event, opens to industry-goers this weekend and to the public next Tuesday, May 18th. This year’s event will host nearly 600 design exhibitors from 40 countries, covering everything from textiles to kitchen and bath, accessories, wall coverings, lighting, carpet and flooring, and indoor and outdoor furniture. Almost 24,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, developers, store designers, hotel and restaurant designers, manufacturers, students and general public are expected to attend.

Always a playful maze of the newest available designs, this year’s participants will include everyone from Tom Dixon and Blu Dot to Bernhardt Design and Miss Print. A few sneak-peek images are below.

If you have the chance, please, do yourself a favor and check it out!

International Contemporary Furniture Fair
Open to Trade: May 15th-17th, 10am-5pm
Open to General Public: Tuesday, May 18th, 10am-4pm
Venue: Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City

*above by Danese Milano

*above by Cocoon Fires

*above by Tradition

*above by Rachel O’Neill

*above by Tom Dixon

*above by Conmoto

*above by Varier Furnitureas

*above by John Kelly Furniture

*above by Sancal Joseph

*above by Asa Selection Inc

*above by Axor

*above by Council Inc

*Images courtesy of ICFF

With “Stretch,” her debut solo furniture collection, designer Jessica Carnevale wanted to bring some of the exuberance of the fashion world into her designs. She experimented with a number of different materials and ultimately chose latex, bungee and rope for their bright colors and elasticity. She built a simple chair to better frame the compositions that she created. The result is a collection of three vivid pieces, which debuted during Satellite 2010. After all, as Carnevale says, “Design should be beautiful and useful, but also fun!”

Since graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2004, Jessica Carnevale has designed furniture and products for clients around the world, including Martha Stewart, West
Elm Furniture, Anna Sui and Alexandra Champalimaud, and even worked as head designer for Brocade
Home, creating a new brand for Restoration Hardware. For the past two years, Carnevale has been working at the Marcel Wanders Studio in Amsterdam. Under his direction, she has developed collections for Baccarat, Target, Bardelli, Philips, Xo, Magis, Cappellini, Skitsch and Moooi.

After a successful show at the Salone Satellite Milan, the Stretch collection is now off home to New York to be exhibited at ABC Home (888 Broadway) for May’s the International Contemporary Furniture Fair.

*above: Portrait of Jessica Carnevale

*Images courtesy of Carnevale Studio.

British designer Tom Dixon offers us a sneak peak at his new wares for May’s ICFF 2010: INDUSTRY and Flash Factory. INDUSTRY is Dixon’s latest line of lighting and furniture (scheduled to appear at ICFF’s booth 1804), and was inspired by industrial processes. At Dixon’s Flash Factory (booths 1900 and 2000), visitors will be able to make and buy limited-edition pieces directly from the stand.

INDUSTRY’s lineup includes:
- Void, an almost musical-looking lighting object inspired by the vacuum flask, with a double wall construction.
- Peg, a minimalist stackable café chair in sold birch.
- Offcut Bench, a flat-packed design made from the waste generated by standard wooden furniture manufacture.
- and the return of Jack, the polyethylene ‘sitting, stacking, lighting thing’ now available in black for the latest generation.

Also launching Is the first in a series of self-published Tom Dixon books. Starting with the orientation for this year’s collection, Industry, the paperback outlines a critique of various production formulas followed by Dixon’s own proposal for a Future Industry. In the same spirit of Etch and Flash Factory, this publishing venture hopes to cut out the middle man by employing new, innovative printing systems. We’ve got an exclusive look at the cover below!

INDUSTRY can be bought from the stand at ICFF and at www.tomdixon.net.

*above, Tom Dixon’s Void lights

*above, Jack lights

*above, Jack lights

*above, Offcut Bench

*above, Peg Chairs

*above, Dixon’s new INDUSTRY book cover

*All images courtesy of Tom Dixon.