RCA SHOW 2011

From: The architects' blog
 Posted by: Tarek Merlin 
27 June 2011

The RCA SHOW 2011 preview last Thursday was a lot of fun. The summer show at Kensington is always an inspirational event, bringing together new talent from architecture, fashion, glassware and communications design into one spectacular spectacular.

An unknown exhibitor caught my eye as soon as we stepped in and seemed to set the appropriate tone for the evening.

Lauren Bowker, self styled “textile innovator”, was exhibiting a beautiful piece in feather and some bone-like structural element, reminding me first of McQueen and then Calatrava.

Lauren Bowker

She refused to let her work be photographed, or herself for that matter, which seemed an odd position to take seeing as we’re here to discover and celebrate new talent…(and a shame because she was dressed in an eye-catching canary yellow sort-of caftan dress, sporting Elvira-esque hair (with central fascinator) and Brigitte Bardot inspired eye make-up).

PHNX piece by Lauren Bowker, Printed Textiles

PHNX piece by Lauren Bowker, Printed Textiles


In lieu of photographs Lauren directed me to her website which, as it turns out is irritatingly poor, but does include a mesmerising film which seeks to illustrate how, through the use of dynamic chromic imaging, the piece could constantly evolve, continually changing colour.

PHNX from phnx on Vimeo.

The architecture component of the show was as fascinating as always. Augmented Urban Theatre-scape by Benjamin Koslowski piqued the imagination. The proposal is for a theatrical urban landscape acting as the stage for sexual desire, with mobile communications and networked social activity as the generator. Sort of Grinder for Architecture.

Augmented Urban Theatre-scape – View, Benjamin Koslowski, Mixed media

While Benjamin was working on initial proposals last year, he and I had talked briefly about a project by Richard Macara in 2001, which looked at how the mobile phone could act as a tool for people to communicate with each other through ‘mobile dating’ and meet up. Bear in mind this was pre any smart-phone technology so was reasonably visionary for its time.

The strength of Benjamin’s proposal is fortified by the reality of today’s “sexual networking” phenomena although, as he himself readily admits, the potency of the theatrical landscape he created was perhaps more powerful than the architectural proposition surrounding it.

Other projects of note included these beautifully crafted models of St Paul’s by Robert Ware:

Repository of the Eternal Now (south elevation), Robert Ware

Some poli/social commentary on the challenges of suburban nimbyism from Bethan Kay:

Billboard Aesthetics, Bethan Kay, Mixed-media model

And some laser-cut pagoda-type architecture in brass from Tom Lasbrey, which admittedly are painfully pretty, but is it time to call time on the frilly laser-cut model? The proposal itself seems more profound, taking its premise from looming cuts in government public spending, safeguarding public facilities and re-interpreting their use.

After the Rain (detail), Helen Moore, Porcelain and glaze

The cartoonish colours of these porcelain pieces by Helen Moore, beguile the surprisingly delicate craftsmanship and finish in reality.

Transition, Paul Stopler, 41 x 18 x 18 cm, Kiln-formed glass

At first glance these pieces by Paul Stopler (above)look a little acrylic-ish but are in fact kiln-formed glass. I like the idea that these are “vessels without voids”; containers whose content is the transparent glass mass itself.

Scope I (from the Scope series), Liam Reeves, 50 x 50 x 6 cm, Free-blown glass

Amazing glassware from the Vector Series by Liam Reeves, Ceramics & Glass.

Laura McGrath, Gilding metal and watercolour painting, Goldsmithing, Silversmithing, Metalwork & Jewellery,

I loved this by Laura McGrath:

Untitled (frame), Laura McGrath, Gilding metal and watercolour painting

She was telling me all about the intricacies of the, admittedly beautiful, metal frame but my mind was busy trying to figure out what was going on inside the crumpled space of the watercolour painting it is framing.

And finally, these erm, hairy balls by James Page caused a thrill,“erotic stimulation and the temporal condition of our physical state”apparently.

Untitled, James Page, 180 x 12 x 90 cm, Hair, steel, brass and bronze

Doing the rounds, there was lots of talk about Nigel Coates’s imminent departure and the list of rumoured successors. One can only hope that the playful perversity and delicate rigour he has engendered throughout all the design disciplines during his tenure, lives on. It’s what brings me back year after year anyway.