Photo by Ben Pierce
This show is legit. Featuring an eclectic mix of up-to-the-minute works from over 70 designers and presenters, FORM’s second annual contemporary design show exhibited everything from the rustic to the whimsical. Taking place in the sprawling Temtor Building (once a Coca-Cola Syrup bottling plant) on South Broadway, I traversed this 15,000-square foot maze seeking out everything that FORM had to offer. Around every bend I was welcomed by cavernous spaces jam-packed with eco-friendly and clever designs.
FORM has a sense of warmth that one might not necessarily get at a typical design opening. This feeling comes from the ever-rising eco-friendly trend that much of the show encompassed mixed with the softly lit walls of the Temtor. While still emitting a refined sense of austerity, rawness and natural hues prevailed as the overarching theme of the night. Nearly every piece invited touch, interaction, and questions – questions that the designers were more than happy to oblige in answering.
David Stine, a woodworker from Illinois creates stoic, handmade pieces from the trees of his family’s farm that are current, simple, and functional. When I asked about his process from sawing to sanding, he genially replied, “I let the tree decide what shape it will take.” This cliché response was anything but; the beauty of these effortless articles did shine through in the knots, grains, and even a bullet lodged in to one particular tabletop. Stine is a massive person (think, Paul Bunyan) who creates massive works. His personality comes out in his work. This sort of individual passion was another highlight consistent throughout FORM.
Photo by Ben Pierce
Passion is also positively pouring from Jose Rivera, a student from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Rivera showcased a wonderful compartmentalized table, pendants that joyfully resembled the Space Invaders arcade game from 1978, and a completely customizable bike that easily shifts in size for a quick and customizable ride. Fun, quirky, clever, and completely in line with the vibe of the night, Rivera glowed with smart ideas and an unspoken promise that we’ll be seeing many more important works from him in the future.
Photo by David Jelinek
Beyond all of the eye candy present at FORM, there was still more to be gleaned. Brie Cella of Perennial was on hand to explain their upcoming event Lost + Found, Perennial’s 1st Annual Fundraiser (October 6, 6 pm at Bridge, 1004 Locust, STL), helping to round out an already full lineup of vendors. Cella explained their mission of DIY sustainable design from found and forgotten object, along with the rediscovering of commodity ownership.
Stepping away from the exhibition rooms I ventured in to the auction and presenters hall, filled with an array of hor d’oeuvres, drinks, and local works to be sold later in the evening. Keynote speaker Zoe Ryan, Curator of Architecture and Design of the Art Institute of Chicago gave an address that in good grace lacked pretention whilst still supplying an overview of the past five years of modern design. Ryan covered topics ranging from furniture, to the importance of the Obama campaign logo.
If you did not or could not make it this year, mark it on your calendar now for 2012. This event is important to what is happening in the design world. It’s palatable and easy for even laymen to digest without the all-too-common pompous and haughty strings normally attached to a wine-drinking, pinky-out, in-the-know design crowd. Only in its infancy, I’ll be excited to see how this show evolves over the next few years; I expect it can only get better. After all, FORM is already legit.
