u n d u la t in g
Ruffle Lounge
, e y e - c a t c h in g
Red
Rocker,
a n d w h im s ic a l
Cloud Couch
( a ll
2007
) .
T h e p a s t c o u p le o f y e a r s , b y c o n t r a s t , h a v e
b e e n m o r e f o c u s e d o n g e s t a t io n : t im e t o c r e -
a te d e s ig n s , r e s e a r c h m a t e r ia ls . “ T h e r e s i-
d e n c y is th e r a c in g g a te o p e n in g ,” s h e s a y s .
I n f r a s t r u c t u r e , o n e o f th e t h e m e s B e e r is
n o w p u r s u in g , is a n e x p lo r a t io n o f a r c h it e c -
t u r a l e le m e n t s - t h in k b o lt s , I - b e a m s , a n g le
ir o n - m a n ip u la t e d in t o a n d m e r g e d w it h
m o r e a n t h r o p o m o r p h ic f o r m s . S h e ’ s a ls o
w o r k in g o n p u s h in g t h e e n v e lo p e o n h e r
A n c h o r e d C a n d y s e r ie s , a g r o u p o f lo u n g e s
im p r o b a b ly b o lt e d in t o b lo c k s o f m e ta l.
“ I m ig h t b e m a k in g th e m o s t c u r v y f o r m
I ’ v e e v e r m a d e ,” s h e c o n fe s s e s . T o l d t h a t ’ s
a b o ld s t a t e m e n t , g iv e n h e r a lr e a d y v o lu p -
t u o u s w o r k , s h e la u g h s . “ I ’ m s e r io u s ! I ’ m
b lu s h in g e v e n t h in k in g a b o u t it . ” P a r t o f th e
in f a t u a t io n is d o in g a lu m in u m f o r m in g , a
n e w e x p e r ie n c e f o r th e fa n o f s te e l a n d s t a in -
le s s s te e l: “ I ’ v e b e e n h a v in g t h is lo v e a f f a ir
w it h D e la h a y e F r e n c h s t r e a m lin e - d e s ig n
c a r s f o r y e a r s , a n d I f in a lly s a id , O K : I ’ m
g o in g t o ju s t b u ild s o m e t h in g in th e e x a c t-
s a m e w a y t h e y w o u ld h a v e b u ilt t h o s e .”
B e e r b e g in s w it h a s t e e l r o d a r m a t u r e ,
a “ m o d e l” t h a t h e lp s h e r d e f in e a n d m e a s u r e
th e f o r m . F r o m it , s h e p u lls fla t p a t t e r n s a n d
c u ts t h o s e s h a p e s o u t o f a lu m in u m s h e e ts .
W i t h s t e e l, s h e m ig h t w o r k th e m e t a l in a
h y d r a u lic p r e s s w it h a s e r ie s o f f o r m in g d ie s .
A lu m in u m is s o f t . S h e m a n ip u la t e s it w it h a
s e r ie s o f h a n d t e c h n iq u e s a n d t o o ls , r o u g h -
in g o u t t h e c u r v e s . A f t e r w o r k in g th e p ie c e s
w it h a n E n g lis h w h e e l ( s m o o t h in g h a m m e r
B e e r i s in f lu e n c e d
b y n a t u r e , s u r e ,
b u t a l s o b y p o p c u l t u r e
a n d t h e p h y s i c a l
e x p e r i e n c e
o f d o m e s t i c lif e
.
034 american craft jun/julii
