Industrial designer Adam Cornish and graphic designer Marcus Piper have come together to create the Easel Project. Eight leading creatives were invited to create an original work of art, to push outside of their comfort zone and challenge the typical palette of materials utilised within their practice.
The list of internationally acclaimed artists draws from a diverse range of creative disciplines including painters, industrial designers, collage artists and graphic designers. The line up for the Easel Project Collection One includes Jaime Hayon, Adam Cornish, Adam Goodrum, Belynda Henry, Ham Darroch, Louise Olsen, Marcus Piper and Rachel Derum.
Each creative worked with surface specialists Axolotl to develop their concept. The range of materials and processes experimented with was extremely diverse – from fused plate glass, marble with brass inlay, etching, 3D printing, printed marble to heat tempered stainless steel.
“As an Industrial designer we are often asked to create using industrial processes and materials, this restriction often makes for the most surprising results. Each artist or designer has chosen a material / process aiming to discombobulate their normal process and encourage experimentation.” says co-founder, Adam Cornish.
The finished artworks, available in a limited edition of eight, rest on a timber easel which displays the work and can be rotated creating a functional coffee table surface. The Easel table design is intended to celebrate the diversity of the practitioners with the traditional Easel representing artists throughout history, and the transformation into a table representing the functional aspect of the design discipline. The Easel base, designed by Adam Cornish, was proudly manufactured by Forest Furniture and the tops were manufactured by Axolotl with a percentage of each sale going to the Authentic Design Alliance.
Easel Collection One will be shown for the first time in the central walkway of DENFAIR, Melbourne, 20-23 June – highlighting the events commitment to independent, Australian design at an international level.
The Easel Project is an independent project championing authentic design that has been initiated by Adam Cornish and Marcus Piper. Adam is well known as a multidisciplinary designer designing for the likes of Alessi and Marcus as a self proclaimed digital craftsperson working across varied creative disciplines.
The pair have curated works by eight internationally recognised creatives who were briefed to push the boundaries of their craft. Each concept was then translated into a physical object in collaboration with Axolotl, who offered up their extensive palette of processes and materials, as well as their expertise in art creation. As part of the process – Axolotl tested its own boundaries, working with the artists to test processes and produce samples prior to production – these samples can be seen below.
Each Easel will be available in a limited edition of eight and come signed by the artist with a certificate of authenticity. A percentage of sales will be donated to the Authentic Design Alliance to foster the ongoing development of innovation and leadership within the Australian design community.
The Easel Project will launch its first functional artwork collection in Melbourne at DENFAIR, 20-22 June 2019, and include a speaker series with the artists and Axolotl’s very own Design Director, Emmaline Cox – moderated by Marcus Piper.
To see the complete set of artworks and to discuss the methods behind the process we’d be delighted to show you personally at Denfair in late June.
For updates and more information on the Easel project click here.
A stunning new range of glass surfaces with unlimited permutations that are unique to the Axolotl portfolio.
The Spectrum process refers to Axolotl’s unique ability to custom colour the surface of a material. Previously only available as Spectrum sheet metal, we have now extended our technology to work over glass surfaces as well!
Lustre Spectrum is a single presentation, semi reflective opaque glass surface which is treated with the Spectrum process, enabling us to colour the glass with a single colour, or custom colour gradients. The final effect is a glass that delivers a perceptual depth beyond its 6mm thickness. We’re then able to extend this beauty even further through 3D printing the top surface of the glass to emboss designs in a clear or coloured texture.
Lustre Spectrum is typically available as 6mm thick annealed glass. As the backing is solid is generally adhered to surfaces and used as a wall, signage or counter front treatment.
Spectrum Glass has the same bespoke surface effects, however it is applied onto a translucent glass surface allowing you to see the colour and pattern from both sides of the glass. Spectrum Glass is available in any glass float, thickness or treatment making it the versatile choice for joinery doors and internal screening.
Spectrum glass panels can be created in sizes are up to 2400 x 1600mm, and are suitable for internal applications only.
As always with Axolotl, there is unlimited potential for design, colour, and graphic effects allowing you to create something truly unique for your next project.
We have made some updates to our website to help make designing with and specifying our products easier than ever. You can now view our range of applied metals in a comprehensive range of textures, ageing and surface effects. We also feature designs that have been created through carving, routing and 3D printing processes. When you click on the tile a larger view will appear with all the specification details, it’s as simple as dragging and dropping the image into your schedule! And to help for custom pieces we have also included a specification guide for all our surfaces on our new Technical page. Of course, the website can't feature every way our surfaces can be used and as always get in touch if you would like to work together to create your own unique surface design.
For those who haven’t visited our website for a while, the site has been updated with a Media page which includes Q + A’s with a number of magazines providing insights into our business and design thinking. We have also added the Our Team page featuring the designers and other key people behind the scenes so that you can get to know us better!
Of course, we wouldn’t miss the chance to also update the photos in our Gallery with the latest and best of Axolotl. We hope you enjoy having a browse.
As the year draws to a close we would like to take the opportunity to thank our clients, staff and friends for your continued support and wish you all the best for the festive season and the New Year!
2018 has been a positive and busy year at Axolotl with two new products launched, Cement Paint and our new Terrazzo surface - a world first at only 0.5mm thick.
Some of our highlights of the year include the completion of a number of exciting projects such as:
- The Banksia fire-pit artwork for Barangaroo’s Naidoc week celebration with artist Bibi Barba.
- Marcus Piper ‘Fracture’ artworks for the New York Affordable Art Show.
Axolotl also sponsored a number of events this year including the IDEA awards for the ninth year, the Good Design awards, Habitus House of The Year, and GZ Design Week in Hong Kong.
We were a Supporting Partner of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi for a second year sponsoring four exhibiting artists, we sponsored Matthew Sheargold’s exhibition ‘Hyperkulturemia’ where Axolotl Paint was used in every artwork, the UTS DAB graduation showcase, and UTS fashion honours student Agnes Choi’s ‘Triumph in the Skies’ piece from her honours collection which was also the winner of the Swarovski crystal sponsorship.
To top it all off this year Axolotl was also awarded the Leading Architectural Product Supplier by Apac Insider, the most Innovative Multi-disciplinary Australian Design Firm from Lux Life and both Spectrum and Axolotl Paints were a finalist in the ADEX awards.
We are already working on new projects and products that will be debuted in 2019 as we continue our commitment to being ‘The Future of Surface’.
'Hyperkulturemia' is a psychosomatic disorder that causes rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to an experience of great personal significance, particularly viewing art. ‘Hyperkulturemia’ is also the title of the sold out exhibition of sculptural paintings by Matthew Sheargold exploring memory and experience through colour, lighting, and geometric studies.
Sheargold is an award winning designer who draws on over 20 years experience working as an interior, furniture and product designer to inform his artwork. Fighting a constant battle to loosen up, his work is structured and restrained, using shapes, forms and symbols as efficiently as possible to tell a story. Drawing from fond memories and random moments, Matt's work seeks to explore the essence of the journeys we take and just how much detail our mind needs to remember them.
Sheargold says, “Metta has a beautiful matt texture which worked brilliantly as the base for my works. Combined with different sheen levels of the Chroma range, Axolotl Paints were the ideal medium”.
Whilst your next design project may be a simpler expression than Matthew’s paintings, the superior pigmentation and depth of colour of Axolotl Paint will elevate it to be a work of art in itself.
You can find more images of the ‘Hyperkulturemia' exhibition here.
The Scribbly Gum artwork floats along the side of a suspended ceiling in the new ACT Law courts building and can be viewed from the street, reception level and mezzanine.
The artwork is a reference to the local landscape and an artistic response to the curvaceous wall. The combination of white washed timber and light, as well as the immense scale give the artwork a sense of refinement and gravitas appropriate for its setting. LED lighting strips are used to create a visually dynamic artwork, as bright points of light appear to slowly weave their way through the curvaceous maze of scribbles. The gradual, glowing movement creates a sense of time passing and a feeling of calm, like watching a fire or shadows passing over the landscape.
“As an artist I am struck by the use of the Scribbly Gum in civic planting as you enter Canberra. The patterns themselves are beautiful graphics and unmistakably those of the Scribbly Gum, even when appropriated, enlarged and reproduced. Bringing these patterns into the interior of the court creates a sense of place, a link to the local landscape. The Scribbly Gum also lends the artwork a light touch as it reminds us of the wonder of nature, and nature’s ‘sense of humour.’ The whimsical patterns on the scribbly bark bring to mind childhood, and time spent in the bush. It is a reminder of our native land, the place that grounds us and links us together. It is a symbol of the culture and landscape to which we belong.” Jade Oakley.
Scribbly Gum was a 14-month process from concept and design development, through to installation. AAP Art projects, the art division of Axolotl, were instrumental in the design process working closely with Jade Oakley to ensure suitability for construction, installation and engineering.
The unique artwork canvas with no straight lines provided the first challenge. To overcome this we brought the installation team Stratti Build in to the project early on. The wall was surveyed on site via cherry picker and drawn on CAD. Over twenty templates were then produced from a datum point on the wall to allow for the successful mapping and installation of the artwork.
Scribbly Gum is made up of over 100 individual panels up to 3360 x 1560mm in size, and is split over three depths.
Each layer has been sanded and treated in the Axolotl factory with Axolotl Timber Wash Interior Roan paint with varying opacities.
Images of Scribbly Gum's design development can be found here.
Axolotl are once again proud to be Supporting Partner of Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi for 2018.
This year we provided material sponsorship and artisan support to a further four artists - Michael Le Grand, Lucy Barker, Jim Flook and Rhiannon West. Each selected based on the quality of their concepts and our capabilities to assist with their diverse aesthetics. It has been an exciting and challenging process supporting each artist to realise their vision, and reinforces our own commitment and passion to support the arts.
The 22nd annual exhibition can be enjoyed on the stunning coastal walk between Bondi and Tamarama, until the 4th November. It is the world's largest free public exhibition and transforms the coast into a 2km long outdoor gallery, featuring over 100 sculptures by Australian and international artists.
If you are an artist looking for an experienced and passionate partner to facilitate your art projects, Axolotl, through our specialist AAP division can offer a range of services. We have experience designing and fabricating in an extensive range of construction materials as well as offer a range of unique, proprietary surfaces. To get in contact email art@axolotl.com.au or phone 02 9666 1207.
Michael Le Grand GUARDIAN Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2018 Materials: Mild steel, Axolotl Bronze Rust Patina Guardian is the balancing act of found and shaped metal objects formed to establish a nominal totemic orientation.
OUTLET Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2018 Materials: Electrical cable, wire frame, Axolotl Bronze Florentine Patina A dense and complex tangle of discarded electrical cables in an intentionally ambiguous form. Outlet is constructed in a lozenge shape that could be a missile, a seed, or perhaps a lump of human detritus rolled by the sea and washed up on the rocks. With connotations of consumption and entrapment, its worm like tangled surface is visually perplexing in its complexity.
Jim Flook SWERVE ONE Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2018 Materials: Mild steel, paint Contemplation of unfolding and unpredictable swerves of life's complexities.
Rhiannon West FLIGHT Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi 2018 Materials: Stainless steel, dichroic glass, mild steel, paint, Axolotl Stone A playful and inviting sculpture for that ‘Instagram moment’. Reflective and vibrant; dichroic lenses form the “tips” to the wings which reflect and refract the light.
The prestigious Rigg Design Prize launched on Thursday at the National Gallery of Victoria to rave review. The triennial event celebrates Australian design and architecture, this year focusing on the field of Interior design and decoration.
Ten renowned interior design studios were invited to design and create a purpose built interior responding to the theme of ‘Domestic living’. Each exhibit highlights the important role interior design plays in shaping our lived environments, manipulating the senses, telling stories, and communicating our values and attitudes.
Axolotl are proud to support our friends at Amber Road in their entry to the 2018 Rigg Design Prize. We are forever in awe of the team’s creative take on interiors, and fearlessness of colour and texture. Amber Roads exhibit Take it Outside is the perfect example of this, and explores the transitional space between the indoors and outdoors. Axolotl sponsored Take it Outisde, providing the mirror glass walls and floors which reflect the brilliant star studded sky, and white washing iconic Aussie objects such as the mozzie coil, terry towelling, thongs and even a can of VB to capture the Australian outdoor experience.
This years Rigg Design Prize featured a stellar line up of design studios including Arent & Pyke, Danielle Brustman, David Hicks, Flack Studio, Martyn Thompson, Scott Weston, Sibella Court, SJB and Hecker Guthrie who took top honours and won this years Rigg Design Prize with their exhibit The table is the base - honouring the humble table.
Be sure to check them all out, entry is free and The Rigg Design Prize is open until 24 February 2019 at Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia at Federation Square.
Axolotl introduced 3D printing in 2017, continuing its tradition as leaders in design innovation. Since then, it has partnered with architects and interior designers to create architectural artworks as well as originating exciting new products like Axolotl Terrazzo and Spectrum.
We were excited to be featured recently in an article on new online magazine HouseLab, about Axolotl's capabilities in 3D printing. Read it for yourself below.
The possibilities of 3D printing on any material are endless. A detail of a Nickel printed pattern by Axolotl.
When media became digitised the world screamed “print is dead” but, in fact, combining digital technology with age-old printing techniques has created an entirely new dimension to architectural surfaces that can be personalised across almost any application.
Our connection with printed matter is more than coffee table books and the Sunday paper, it's like buying the LP when you can download the album on Spotify. It is tangible, textured and large format.
The 3D printed entry to Nina Maya Interiors' The Glasshouse Photographed by Nicole England.
Take the bronze entryway to Nina Maya Interiors’ recent project, The Glasshouse, in the Sydney suburb of Paddington – and yes, you’d be forgiven for thinking it took an artisan hours, painstakingly etching the pattern. In fact it is 3D printed and like a true artist’s work it is completely a one-off – the skill of the modern digital artisan remains equally important as the traditional artist.
That is the great thing about this new technology, combining the feel of the old with the potential of the new, and really the possibilities are endless when you combine an idea with those who know how to make it become reality.
Making our way to the rear of The Glasshouse, this comes to light with a three-panel bronze cortex gate acting as a functional feature wall. Another example of how we can approach surfaces differently, and the texture is as engaging as the finish. These new approaches to printing and surface treatments bookend the home and also showcase the possibilities we have to hand.
The application of this technology isn’t just limited to doors, nor is it limited to metal. Today we can print on virtually any substrate from terracotta to glass, including concrete and timber, with an added dimension of up to 150mm meaning it really does come down to your imagination.
3D printed doors are just the beginning of what this new technology can offer. Left: Grand Designs by Chris Knierem - Design Construct (Photograph by Belinda Knierem) Right: Smith Residence in New Zealand by Di Smith (Photograph by Di Smith).
By engaging a graphic designer or artist in the process, any pattern can be achieved to create a statement piece in the home that is truly yours. HouseLab co-founder Marcus Piper recently pushed the boundaries of this thinking with his Differences series exhibited at the Australian Design Centre.
Printing on aluminium plate, the graphically-geometric series showed how 2 and 3-dimensional printing can hang together as one – playing with light to create depth in what would otherwise be a flat plane.
'It’s like printing an enormous magazine cover and they look different from every angle!' says Piper, who has been designing magazines for the last 20 years and is now endlessly excited about the potential of being able to produce artworks up to 1600x2400mm.
Difference 03 and Difference 01 by Marcus Piper, printed and 3D printed on aluminium at the Axolotl showroom.
And really size is the only limitation here – be it a garage door, a contemporary take on a pressed-tin ceiling or a poolside glass facade it comes down to the mark you want to make, as combining these multiple printed panels opens up a world of opportunity.
So, what lies ahead in surface technology? The sky is the limit but it ultimately comes down to finding the right team who understand the potential and can make the most of it in a way that suits a home. One thing is for sure, print is well and truly alive and it is definitely going places.
THE TAKE HOMES 1. Engaging a graphic designer or artist who understands the process can achieve incredible results. 2. 3D and surface printing can be applied to almost any substrate across applications from doors to bed-heads. 3. Being able to apply metal, concrete or stone finishes with 3D printing can make for a cheaper, lighter-weight outcome, perfect for joinery or feature walls. 4. The options and combinations that can be utilised with this new technology is seemingly endless, something your architect or interior designer will be able to advise on.
