Kelp Forest, designed by Oliver M. Furth and Tanya Aguiñiga, features two unique consoles of reclaimed, woven fibers, negotiating a matte black nickel-plated industrial framework. Drawing inspiration from underwater landscapes, as well as theater stages and operatic dramas, Kelp Forest focuses on space, depth and concepts of foreground, middle ground and background. Aguiñiga’s rich textures of knotted cascading rope, satin and canvas set the stage for a visual scene that entangles the viewer. Furth’s contribution, the design of a structure incorporating re-imagined use of industrial-grade materiality, disrupts notions of quality and luxury. Together, Aguiñiga and Furth question conventional definitions, and contextual boundaries for contemporary weaving. With the exception of a few artists including Aguiñiga, weaving, which has gained a new appreciation amongst art and design enthusiasts today has remained largely in stasis, unchallenged since the medium’s creative apex in the 1970’s. Kelp Forest serves as a catalyst to push the narrative forward—taking the medium ‘off the wall,’ and proposing new ways for artisans, makers and designers to work within the form.
Kelp Forest is on view by appointment at AUX un-gallery within The Culture Creative’s Los Angeles office, as well as available for purchase online.
About AUX
AUX (pr. auxiliary) is a producer of experimental design, art, and craft; it is a new way of thinking about fine and decorative objects and commercial pursuit; it is an endeavor dedicated to the revolutionary collision of storytelling and material culture.
Los Angeles-based brand discovery and talent management firm, The Culture Creative, launched AUX in 2015 to fill a whitespace between the artist and gallery, an opportunity for experimentation. Creating solutions to problems that don’t yet exist, AUX collaborates with talents from various creative fields to propose questions and push boundaries. The goal is not necessarily to find the answer, but to illustrate the question through a project, product, or experience. AUX is a pure manifestation of The Culture Creative’s commitment to learning, self-discovery and non-stop output—the belief that ideas should be mined, examined, and brought to life. Nomadic and untethered, AUX is not a gallery; it is an un-gallery, collaborating directly with contemporary artists and makers and supporting their representative galleries. AUX exists within The Culture Creative’s Los Angeles office, as well as online: TheCultureCreative.com/AUX
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