STUFFZ: Design on Material
Stuffz: Design on Material is sort of like Donnie Darko in the sense that after seeing it, I loved and related to it so much, I wished I’d made it myself. This tremendous tome was published by locals, Gingko Press, and it features the expanded canvases of today’s most innovative designers. Jon has a nice five-page spread devoted to his work. Cool Hunting published my review of Stuffz here. A little excerpt:
Proving that everyday objects no longer need be banal, the book also looks at a new generation of designers comfortable with imparting emotion onto objects with a goal of inspiring ideas. The prolific work of eBoy (sneakers to sofas), tokidoki (makeup to watches) and Jon Burgerman, subject of a catalog of his abundant output called, Doodlesplatter, all represent an emerging crop of creators with an abundance of both emotion and ideas.
While perusing the many captivating designs makes Stuffz an education on its own, the book’s curator Sijuan includes a page of backstory on each artist. Predictably not everyone took a path from womb to art school. Some started out as lawyers, chemical engineers and even bricklayers.
A motivating read, Stuffz reminds creators of the possiblities on both practical and personal levels. Miami-based design team, Friends With You sum it up nicely: “We’ve worked with plush, metal sculptures, food, fiberglass, computer, video, etc. We never limit our creativity to anything. Like, if we want to build a ladder to heaven, it might be best to make it inflatable rather than from a piece of wood because we can reach higher with it now.”
I got my copy at the great indie shop, Builder’s Booksource. You can also order Stuffz from Amazon or Powell’s. Watch this space for another review of a similar, yet different, but still utterly awesome art book.
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