Copyright Hamish Bigg 2005-2009.
All Rights Reserved.
“Art is a collaboration between God and the artist, and the less the artist
does the better.” So said the French writer André Gide – which sounds to me
like a great excuse for shirking! Forget divine inspiration; what any artist or
designer needs to get their creative juices flowing is a partner who takes a
more earthly form. In the design world, especially, collaborative efforts seem
to bear great fruit – think Charles and Ray Eames, Ronan and Erwan
Bouroullec and Glasgow’s very own Timorous Beasties. So it seems doing
things in twos is where it’s at – just ask Noah, or Hamish Bigg and Eleanor
Young of new Glasgow partnership B+Y Design.
Although Hamish and Eleanor met while at Glasgow School of Art,
studying product design and textile design respectively, it was only in the
run-up to this year’s 100% Futures that they joined forces. “We have both
worked hard to develop strong identities individually,” says Hamish, “but we
felt we’d be able to get a stronger message across at the event as a duo.”
They have their own approach to work but share an interest in playfulness
and sustainability. “We aim to engage with our audience in a creative way,”
Eleanor explains. For her debut collection, she takes found objects (mostly
items of discarded furniture) and lovingly reworks them with bold,
colourful, geometric-patterned upholstery. Making the effort to source
high-quality materials – luxurious wool, leather and hand-dyed cotton –
from local suppliers, Eleanor has created a range of cool pieces for people
who care about the sustainable credentials of their furnishings.
“I’m very much inspired by recycling and renewal too,” says Hamish. “It’s
very important to me that a piece has longevity.” He achieves this by
building an interactive element into his designs. Evolve, his modular chair
system, allows the owner to customise seat backs, legs and finish whenever
they grow tired of its existing look, making sure landfill is avoided without
compromising on style.
So what’s next for the dynamic duo? “The aim is to get some of
our prototypes into production,” says Hamish. “We
generated a fair bit of interest from manufacturers at
100% Design, so watch this space.”
B + Y Design, 07986 090578, 07880 620523, www.b-ydesign.co.uk
Featured in Scotland's biggest selling home magazine, Homes & Interiors Scotland in their Design Talent section for the Nov/Dec issue 2009 with fellow designer Eleanor Young.
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