M A T E R I A L C U L T U R E
Left:
Concreta chair, 2009,
wood, fabric, rope,
31V2 x 27% x 17% in.
Below left:
Cintura shelf, 2009,
wood, leather belts,
62V2 x 35 x 29 Vi in.
Quiet Riot
STO R Y BY
S h o n q u is M o r e n o
S o f t - s p o k e n a n d s e r e n e , th e B r a z ilia n
d e s ig n e r R o d r ig o A lm e id a is s ittin g at th e
l i v i n g r o o m t a b le in h is S a o P a u lo a p a r t -
m e n t s u r r o u n d e d b y a c a c o p h o n y o f h is
o w n fu r n itu r e : a s to o l m a d e fr o m s ta c k e d
p la s t ic la u n d r y b a s k e t s , b a c k p a c k s o r
in d u s tr ia l c a n v a s b e lts tu r n e d in t o s h e lv in g ,
a n d t a b le s w i t h la t t i c e d t o p s in a r io t o f
p r im a r y c o lo r s . A t h r o n e - s h a p e d s o fa
a g a in s t th e fa r w a ll a p p e a r s to c o n s is t o n ly
o f th e t h ic k fo ld s o f a r e f le c t iv e s n e a k e r
fa b r ic . S e a t e d o n a b r ig h t b lu e c h a ir fe a t u r -
in g d e e p ly la t t ic e d s u r fa c e s th a t b it e in to
t h e fle s h , p r o h ib it in g le n g t h y id le n e s s , th e
3 4 -y e a r -o ld a n n o u n c e s , w it h o u t a h in t o f
h e r e s y in h is v o i c e : “ I t ’ s m o r e im p o r t a n t
t o c r e a t e s e n s a tio n th a n fo r m .”
A lm e id a , w h o s e w o r k d e f t ly a n d u n s e lf-
c o n s c io u s ly c o n fo u n d s d e s ig n , a r t a n d c r a ft,
n e v e r a t t e n d e d d e s ig n s c h o o l. H e r e p r e -
s e n ts a g e n e r a tio n th a t fo llo w s th e C a m p a n a
b r o t h e r s , w h o h e lp e d r e tu r n B r a z ilia n
d e s ig n to th e lim e lig h t a f te r fo u r d e c a d e s
o f th e c o u n t r y ’s s o -c a lle d L o s t G e n e r a tio n .
A u r é lia L a n s o n , d ir e c to r o f F a t G a le r ie
in P a r is , w h e r e A lm e id a h a d a s o lo s h o w
in M a y , w a s s tr u c k b y th e o r ig in a lit y o f th e
s tr u c tu r e s a n d m a te r ia ls h e u s e s . “ H e h as
a g r e a t a b ilit y t o m a s te r fo r m s a n d c o lo r s ,”
s h e s a y s . “ A b o v e a ll, h e ’ s v e r y m a tu r e a n d
t o t a l l y f r e e fr o m t h e d e s ig n o f h is g e n e r a -
t i o n .” B o r n o u t s id e S â o P a u lo t o B a h ia n
p a r e n t s , A l m e i d a r e m e m b e r s o b s e r v i n g
a r c h ite c tu r a l s p a c e e a r ly o n a n d , a t h o m e ,
h a v in g t h e f r e e d o m “ t o m o d if y t h in g s .”
B u t d e s ig n s c h o o l h e ld n o in t e r e s t f o r h im :
“ I ’ m m o r e a n a r c h ic ,” h e e x p la in s . “ F o r m e ,
d e s ig n is a v is u a l a r t a n d as s u c h v e r y d if f i-
c u lt t o t e a c h , b e c a u s e it t o u c h e s e v e r y a r tis t
in a d is tin c t w a y . ”
In s te a d , A lm e id a le a r n s b y h a n d lin g d i-
v e r s e m a te r ia ls fr e q u e n t ly a n d w i t h an o p e n
m in d as t o th e ir u s e s , w h ile p o r in g o v e r a r ti-
s a n a l t e c h n iq u e s a n d t h e o r y . “ I r e a lly s t u d y
th e s u b je c t ,” h e s a y s . “ I h a v e d is c ip lin e .”
H e a ls o h a s a n a s s is ta n t w o o d w o r k e r , b u t
A lm e i d a a l w a y s fin is h e s h is p ie c e s h im s e lf,
b e li e v i n g th a t h a n d w o r k g i v e s t h e o b je c ts
g r e a te r a u t h e n t ic it y . T h i s m e a n s th a t h e
fa v o r s fle x ib le m a te r ia ls th a t a re e a s y to c u t,
p a s te a n d n a il. H e h a s m a d e a c h a ir fr o m
p a p e r a n d a s to r a g e u n it w i t h c u b b y h o le s
th a t o p e n w h e n th e p o c k e t s o f its m u lt ic o l-
o r e d b a c k p a c k s a r e u n z ip p e d ; th e C in t u r a
s h e lf is c o r s e te d w i t h m e n ’s le a t h e r b e lts .
T h i s p e n c h a n t f o r r e a d ily m a lle a b le m a t e r i-
als t h a t h e t a k e s c o m p le t e ly o u t o f c o n t e x t -
s h o e u p p e r s b e c o m e a s o fa , c o n s t r u c t io n
r o p e o r e v e n b e e f tr ip e b e c o m e a s e a t, b u s i-
n e s s a ttir e s e r v e s as a s h e lf—h e lp s h im to
f o r g e , a s s e m b le a n d c o m p o s e m u c h m o r e
e a s ily . A l m e i d a ’ s m a s h -u p o f m a t e r ia ls ,
t e x t u r e s a n d c o lo r , h o w e v e r , b e lie s th e
g r e a t c la r it y o f lin e a n d fo r m in h is p ie c e s .
026 american craft aug/scp 10
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