Julian Mayor Interview on Indechs.org
One branch of the Cultural Avenue is indechs.org; an online platform for contemporary culture.
Biweekly Theme Weeks are created, which operate around one specific topic that feels relevant in the current cultural production. Each week starts off with an interview between Indechs and a protagonist of the particular subject, initiating a debate underlined by related posts during the week.
The seventh Theme Week is orientating around the boarder line between art and design or design being art. There is only a thin line between all the creative disciplines, be it fine arts, architecture or what is commonly known as 'design'. Just like the other fields, design incorporates artistic visions, technical & structural skills, and a sense for materiality. A young London based designer, represented in galeries worldwide, Julian Mayor, starts the debate for this week with a discussion between him and Indechs.
Could you please give us a short introduction to your practice?Im a designer based in East London, with a workshop in Doncaster in the North of England, where I make most of my pieces. I work mainly on chairs and other items of furniture and occasionally on larger scale projects when the opportunity occurs. How would you outline the various steps from an initial idea /thought to the final product?The process generally takes about a year, from start to finish. It usually starts with a sketch, that I then translate into a computer model. I make 3 or 4 card models at full scale, to evaluate how it will look and feel in a space. Then I usually leave the work while I find a suitable manufacturing process, which usually is more craft based. After a couple of prototypes in the final material Im happy with, then I make the final edition. Because the whole process is quite time consuming, I tend to work on different projects at various stages of completion at one time. Can one say that most of your designs are based on triangulation and geometry, hence rather on a mathematical approach than on an expressional gesture?Yes, I think that my work could definitely be described as mathematical in its intent, but when making the final pieces, an organic element appears which comes from making things by hand. Both the rigorous design stage and the hands-on making process are equally important for me. Does that mean digital modeling programs and the related digital fabrication tools – CNC/3d printing/ laser cutters etc. are crucial for your design?Yes, most of my work is at least designed on a computer, even if it is made by hand. I do use laser cutting and cnc routing quite a bit, but its usually followed by a hand process to finish off. Your work is featured across many different types of magazines, ranging from design, over interior design to art magazines. How do you negotiate between art and design?I think that depends on how you look at the man made world, some people think of most things that people have made as some kind of art, and others prefer for the boundaries to be more defined. Click here to read the complete Interview on Indechs.org
