UTILITARIAN ART

Perhaps a door is not a door, but an artistic expression disguised as an entryway. Doors conceived from the minds at Axolotl are perceived less as a utilitarian item and more as a point of functional sculpture. With the ability to print almost any three-dimensional design onto our doors, no matter how intricate, the once unimaginable is now possible. Axolotl makes it simple to achieve a highly personalised statement entry-piece, whether intricate or unadorned, aged or polished, rust, stone or concrete. Our bespoke approach is proving to be a major disruptor in the design world.

The skill of the modern digital artisan remains equally important as the traditional artist. Combining digital technology with age-old printing techniques has created a new dimension to architectural surfaces that can be personalised across almost any application. The outcome is tangible, textured and large format. Take the bronze entryway to Nina Maya Interiors’ recent project, The Glasshouse, in the Sydney suburb of Paddington. The attention to detail is a perfect illustration of the symbiotic relationship that exists between the modern digital artisan and the traditional artist. These new approaches to printing and surface treatments elevate the home and showcase non-traditional thinking and creativity at work.

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, meaning it really does come down to your imagination. Any pattern can be achieved to create a statement piece in the home.

HouseLab co-founder Marcus Piper recently pushed the boundaries of this thinking with his Differences Series exhibited at the Australian Design Centre. Printing on aluminum plates, 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. Size is really the only limitation here – be it a front entryway, 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. Axolotl continues to lead the market in contemporary surfaces and our range of doors and surface technology exemplify our unique expressions.