OMBRA:Selects - a new exhibition

Our very own Jim Biddulph is taking part in a new exhibition in London this month. Called Ombra:Selects – most of the work has been specifically made for the event and has not been seen in the public domain before.

The exhibition at Ombra Bar & Restaurant on Vyner Street brings together six designers who all have a desire to strip back objects, with the emphasis firmly on functionality, and re-definition of form. Those taking part along with Jim include Carl Silvester, Chiara Ferrari, Daniel Heath, Gitta Gschwendtner and Russell Bamber.

Carl’s ‘conversation pieces’ are self-assembly paper megaphones that encourage cross table conversation and interaction. His table clothes are bilingual word search games that encourage you to not only verbally interact with other guests but also encourage physical interaction as one reaches to complete the word.

Jim’s faceted surfaces explore the transformation that occurs between two and three dimensionality. After taking a simple sheet of paper through a series of alterations involving crumpling and re-flattening the new randomly produced structure is reproduced as a rigid sculptural form. Using mirror, which simultaneously encompasses and fractures its surroundings, the structure further explores the element of chance that is integral in its very creation and throws reflected light in every direction.

Russell has made a 4.8 metre long wedge of colour, that creates a cantilevered pathway that cuts through one of OMBRA’s windows and out over Regents Canal. The viewer is enticed to walk out across the canal having ducked down through the restricted window, and experience their world from a completely different perspective. The high-gloss, vibrant colours of the cantilever reflect the ripples of the canal and shout their existence against the industrial warehouses of Vyner Street.

Chiara is showing her new ‘Moody Light’ - a ceiling mounted pendant lamp combining slender forms of illuminated Corian and polished stainless steel. It hangs in equilibrium over a balanced pulley system that allows the lamp height to be adjusted at will.

The cylindrical lamp is formed from a tube of translucent Corian that softly diffuses the light along its length. It is suspended on a slim braided cable that passes through two matching pulleys to connect to the ceiling. The second cylinder, an echo of the first in form and length, is a stainless steel tube that provides both hand hold and counter-weight.

The elegance of ‘Moody’ comes from the contrast between the industrial sleekness of the stainless steel and the smooth, soft translucency of the Corian. The smooth counter-motion of the cylinders, as the height is adjusted, is both playful and graceful.

Daniel’s most recent works have explored the use of salvaged materials and the re-appropriation of these materials in new and interesting ways. Daniel is supplied with a range of beautiful materials by architects and salvage specialists Retrouvius, including Victorian oak panels salvaged from The Natural History museum.

For his latest piece, Daniel has etched one of his intricate illustrations into the surface of an old Iroko school desk, juxtaposed by the imagery drawn onto the surface by generations of school children. The material provides an inherent nostalgia and an often-whimsical humour for the viewer to engage with.

Gitta’s ‘Bodge Bench’ is part of a series of furniture based on traditional ‘bodging’ techniques and was originally made from green wood working with no electricity. The language of the bench is based on traditional shaving horses and basic barn benches. The piece on show is made using contemporary machining techniques.

The Ombra bar is open as usual during Icon’s Design Trail, and will be serving freshly made pasta, cicchetti, spritz and other delights for your satisfaction.

A private view of Ombra:Selects is taking place on Saturday 17^th September from 6pm. To find out more about Ombra, visit http://ombrabar.com.