Max Lamb
I came across a video for a quite extraordinary artist, Max Lamb. Then I discovered that he is actually from St Austell, Cornwall and my interest peeked!
I love finding out about artists who are interested in the process just as much as the end result. That is why I often write posts on here about artisans. I think in my world of graphic design where everything is finished on a computer, one can crave connection with the process. At the company I work at, Pickle Design, we have always been careful to start with pen and paper. I often hand draw illustration to give a brand or product that personal feel that can be easily lost.
With Max Lamb, it was a video of him casting a stool out of pewter using sand as a mould. This really interested me as there is quite a bit of the unknown, only so much you can control. Max carves out a mould in the wet sand and pours in molten pewter to cast a shape. It is impressive!
Not restricting himself to a particular method in his furniture design, Max has worked with starch, Cornish granite, sandstone, copper, wood, the list goes on. The end result is often rough, not refined, but perfect in its completion. The job is done, a chair is made, the material has been tamed.
Born in St Austell in 1980, Max then went on to study Three Dimensional Design at Northumbria university, Newcastle upon Tyne. He has won many awards, including; in 2003 the Peter Walker Award for "Innovation in Furniture Design" and in 2008 named "Designer of the Future" by Design Miami/Basel.
It all started for Max as a passion for being outside and creating. Growing up in Cornwall, surrounded by its industrial heritage gave him a taste for design. He would form castles on the sandy beaches and help his Grandpa build stone walls at his Yorkshire farm. When the weather was bad it was Lego and helping his mum bake!
On the Pickle Design Facebook page a little while ago I posted a video of what happens when you pour molten aluminium into an ant hill, quite amazing. You see the artist excavating this heavy mound of ant architecture. Max lamb could be called an excavating artist too. He looks at the mound of material and often uses traditional tools, coaxing out a functional form but allowing the material to dictate. I am interested to see what he creates next.
I love finding out about artists who are interested in the process just as much as the end result. That is why I often write posts on here about artisans. I think in my world of graphic design where everything is finished on a computer, one can crave connection with the process. At the company I work at, Pickle Design, we have always been careful to start with pen and paper. I often hand draw illustration to give a brand or product that personal feel that can be easily lost.
With Max Lamb, it was a video of him casting a stool out of pewter using sand as a mould. This really interested me as there is quite a bit of the unknown, only so much you can control. Max carves out a mould in the wet sand and pours in molten pewter to cast a shape. It is impressive!
Not restricting himself to a particular method in his furniture design, Max has worked with starch, Cornish granite, sandstone, copper, wood, the list goes on. The end result is often rough, not refined, but perfect in its completion. The job is done, a chair is made, the material has been tamed.
It all started for Max as a passion for being outside and creating. Growing up in Cornwall, surrounded by its industrial heritage gave him a taste for design. He would form castles on the sandy beaches and help his Grandpa build stone walls at his Yorkshire farm. When the weather was bad it was Lego and helping his mum bake!
On the Pickle Design Facebook page a little while ago I posted a video of what happens when you pour molten aluminium into an ant hill, quite amazing. You see the artist excavating this heavy mound of ant architecture. Max lamb could be called an excavating artist too. He looks at the mound of material and often uses traditional tools, coaxing out a functional form but allowing the material to dictate. I am interested to see what he creates next.
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