Untitled - The Future Perfect

featuring
WO R K S I N S TO N E
by LEX POTT
& C A L I C O WA L L PA P E R
We were immediately inspired upon seeing Lex Pott’s work
for Design Miami / Curio, it felt as though it was emanating
from prehistoric time and struck a deep chord in our studio.
Crude forms grasping on to pristinely polished and refined
edges - it reminded us of the film 2001: A Space Odyssey
and the moment that the monolith appeared. Reason vs.
Chaos. We were inspired.
- Calico Wallpaper
Nature and geometry are at the nexus of the Fragments collection. From
one extreme, found looking rocks are intersected by polished planes. At
the other extreme, completely finished stone is fragmented by different
marbles and colors.
LEX POTT
Fragments was conceived at the quarry, where irregular and organically
shaped boulders are being transformed into perfect industrial geometry.
The initial interpretation of this juxtaposition between the original rock and
the finished product, is in the group of work where rough found boulders
are intersected with planes of perfectly finished and honed machined
parts. The two side tables, circular dining table and coffee table with two
mountains, constructed from Belgian Hardstone (Belgian Bluestone) are
an example of this idea.
From this point more subtle variations in concept occur. This is the case
for the cross base dining table and coffee table. The idea came from
watching the process of turning raw blocks of stone into slabs to be used as
surface. By utilizing the quality of the end slab, both an irregular surface
and a polished plane appear. The irregular surface creates a texture that
invisibly becomes a technical joint for the base, constructed from two
regularly finished slabs, and cut from the same block.
The shelf relates to this concept in an entirely different way. Here, specific
geometry and perfectly finished slabs are fragmented through the use of
various marbles. The basis of the design for the shelf lies in the rather
simple architectural fact that at the base of the building, the structure is
heaviest and most supportive and as it raises into the sky it lightens. In the
Fragments Shelf this is the case both in volume and color gradient from
the darkest Nero Marquina to the lightest Bianco Carrara.
The Fragments collection as a whole is an appreciation of the processing
of stone from the quarry onwards.
FRAGMENTS SIDETABLE ROUND INSERT. 2015.
24" x 24" x 27" | Belgian Hardstone
FRAGMENTS COFFEE TABLE TWIN. 2015.
63" x 32" x 16" | Belgian Hardstone
FRAGMENTS DINING TABLE ROUND MOUNTAIN. 2015.
56" x 40", 30" tabletop height | Belgian Hardstone
FRAGMENTS DINING TABLE CROSS. 2015.
79" x 36" x 30" | Multi-color Green Granite
The shelf consists of five different types of marbles
making it a unique composition in color, pattern and
global origin. The white marble outer layer is made
from the most iconic marble called Bianco Carara class
C. The C class is one of the highest ratings in terms
of purity and whiteness and is found in Italy. The
yellow layer is made from Giallo Realle. This very
warm and characteristic exclusive marble is quarried in
Italy as well. The third red layer consists of rouge
marble that finds it origin in Spain. Since the color
palette plays an important role in the design we
had to select marble from India that comes in a very
intense dark green. The green marble is named Verde
Radjastan. Then to finish the layers from top to bottom
and from light to dark the base is made from dark
marble found in Spain. This Nero Marquina is known
for its’ black purity and strong white veining.
FRAGMENTS LAYERED SHELF. 2015.
40" x 16" x 79" | Nero Marquina Marble, Verde Radjastan
Marble, Rouge Marble. Giallo Reale Marble, Bianco Carara Marble
FRAGMENTS SIDE TABLE SQUARE INSERT. 2015.
24" x 24" x 28" | Belgian Hardstone
FRAGMENTS COLUMN COFFEE TABLE. 2015.
16" x 69" x 24" | Belgian Hardstone
FRAGMENTS COFFEE TABLE CROSS. 2015.
48" x 24" x 16" | Orion Granite
When I saw Lex’s work and the opportunity arose to
conceptualize a booth for Design Miami, I knew that
Calico Wallpaper was the perfect collaborator. The
solution was to frame the work with a wallcovering,
handpainted with a pigment derived from the same
stone Lex has worked with for the furniture. The
connection between the wallpaper and the furniture is
genius and for me completes the Fragments collection.
- David Alhadeff
The Future Perfect
CALICO
WA L L PA P E R
Calico Wallpaper is a designer of bespoke wallpaper.
The company was founded in Brooklyn, New York in
2013 by creative and life-partners Rachel and Nick
Cope. Their process combines artisanal methods
from the decorative arts, such as traditional marbling
and dip-dying techniques, with innovative digital
technologies. Calico Wallpaper works with a global
roster of leading designers and architects. In addition to
residential and hospitality projects, Calico Wallpaper
designs have been exhibited at Mallett Antiques
(London Design Festival 2015), The Metropolitan
Museum of Art (November 2015) and Spazio Rossana
Orlandi in Milan (Salone del Mobile 2015).
The work applies so much to the ethos of Calico
Wallpaper. We take an antique approach to craft, such
as paper-marbling or dip-dyeing, and then elevate with
the cold purity of digital technology. By beginning our
pattern-making process with handmade artwork, we
then modify and elevate our work with a sophisticated
approach, and therefore we immediately resonated
with Lex Pott’s project. We requested that Lex have the
quarry in the Netherlands where he selects his Bluestone
actually pulverize pieces of the very same material
so that we could utilize this material for painting an
exquisite environment for his pieces to exist within.
Our proposal is to install fine linen paper-backed
wallpaper to all surfaces in the curio and gradually
hand-apply mineral pigments to create an experience
through the course of the exhibition. The audience can
witness wallpaper being made live and ongoing. Calico
Wallpaper is more than a background, it is an immersive
environment to define space and lifestyle. We believe
that this project will highlight the finest approaches to
cutting-edge surface design with a profound respect for
timeless artisanry.
The Future Perfect was born from a desire to create a
showcase for exceptional decorative arts and design. In
September of 2003, amidst a gathering of friends and
enthusiasts, founder David Alhadeff opened the original
store in Brooklyn with a party celebrating the burgeoning
local design community. From those modest beginnings,
The Future Perfect embarked on a path of steady growth
and broadening horizons. Though still involved with the
Brooklyn design scene, The Future Perfect has moved
on from its Williamsburg roots, becoming a platform for
design from around the world at its two locations in
Manhattan and San Francisco. We are proud to feature
many unique and special edition objects and furnishings
from a diverse group of distinguished designers. Some
work is by established figures in the design world while
other pieces are by emerging talents. Taken together,
they present a rich and compelling tapestry of dazzling
possibility.
www.thefutureperfect.com
On instagram @thefutureperfect
55 Great Jones Street, New York, NY 10012 | 212.473.2500
3085 Sacramento Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 | 415.932.6508