London, September 2016
An exhibition of Lara Bohinc’s selected works in marble 2014-2016 at Sketch
‘Music of the Spheres’ is an ancient philosophical concept that sees divine harmonic musical proportions in the movements of celestial bodies, and marble is a material that has been the backbone of fine art expression since Classical. Times. In her retrospective exhibition at sketch, designer Lara Bohinc fuses these eternal ideas together in the presentation of a selection of her works in marble, based around the geometric perfection of the circle.
Intricately designed and made with exquisite care, the ‘Solaris’ kinetic coffee table inhabits an interstitial space between jewellery and furniture. The extreme attention to detail of Bohinc’s pieces made to be worn by the body is scaled up; here, stone slices and curved metal parts combine in construction that applies innovative technologies to traditional craft. Four stacked rings of marble move smoothly on a rotation spindle like a range of planets rotating around the sun, its golden light echoed in the highly polished circular brass dishes which are inset into the marble plates. The table is ever changing, as the plates can be easily moved around its axis; from a totally closed circle it can be spread open to almost double its size.
Following the design language of ‘Solaris’, the ‘Full Moon’ table from second ‘Lunar’ collection also takes inspiration from the planets and their orbital movements, featuring richly-coloured marbles set like precious jewels within brass or 18ct. gold-plated steel rims. The table is constructed entirely from interlocking horizontal and vertical discs, which are bisected, deconstructed or overlaid, building hypnotic surface patterns, and forming dynamically poised bases and tops.
The union of brass and marble continues in the ‘Star Gazer’ candlesticks. These are inspired by Orreries, clockwork mechanical models of the Solar System which have been used since Classical times. Circular pillars of coloured marble tones range from Portuguese peach to deep green Verdi from Guatemala, through black, grey and white, accented with gold-tone brass globes.
The ‘Half Moon Mirror’ deconstructs the perfection of the Circles previously used by slicing one in two and rotating its halves into a dynamic contradiction. Framed by the light and dark tones of white Carrara and Nero Machina black marble, it’s as if an cosmic eclipse solidified into a tangible object of beauty.
SKETCH
9 Conduit Street, London W1S 2XG
5th October - 13th November 2016
