Artist to Know: Thomas Heatherwick
Call it art or architecture, industrial innovation or large-scale whimsy. British designer Thomas Heatherwick has the rare ability to turn benches, bridges, or entire storefronts into fluid works of sculpture. Recently selected to create the 2012 Olympic cauldron, Heatherwick seems to be popping up everywhere in the art world these days. And now he’s in NYC, with his first U.S. exhibition, “Extruding and Spinning,” on view through March 3 at Haunch of Venison gallery in Chelsea.
In the exhibition, Heatherwick explores and pushes the limits of two types of metalwork: spinning, in which a piece of metal is spun into a symmetrical disk around an axis; and extrusion, in which metal is pushed through a die to form one continuous piece. Using these processes, Heatherwick and his lead designer, Stuart Wood, have created liquid-looking benches and shiny conic chairs that spin around like tops that gallery patrons are encouraged to sit and spin for themselves (and they often do so with childlike glee). Just as fascinating to behold are the photographs and models of Heatherwick’s large-scale works, such as a pedestrian bridge in London that rolls up into a ball (all pieces are available for purchase for $18,000 to $60,000).
We checked in with Wood, who has been working with Heatherwick for more than a decade, to get an inside look at how these mind-bending creations come about.
Why did you decide to show these pieces together for your first U.S. exhibition?
Both the spinning chair and extrusion benches are an investigation and reflection on industrial processes from a different perspective. The gallery gives us an outlet for experimental pieces of thinking, to show the endless possibilities for which we can use an extrusion machine. Extrusion is mostly used for making very linear, conservative shapes like window and door frames, but here we have taken it to a sort of heroic level, and then played around with it.
How did you both start exploring extrusion?
We visited a factory to see how extrusion works and were surprised by what we saw. When the metal is pushing through its die, it looks a lot like toothpaste coming out of a tube: gnarled and free-form, especially at the ends, which are usually cut off to make a clean edge. So we thought, If we found a machine that was large enough, could we make a bench out of one long piece? And what would happen if you didn’t cut the ends off? I researched for years to find a machine that would be large enough for us to experiment with and finally found one in China that pushes out about 10,000 tons of liquid aluminum. It was amazing to be able to control the buckling, the randomness, the distortion; it was like we were playing God.
What about the spinning chair?
The chair also began through reflecting on simple craft processes. We met a guy who’d been a metal spinner his whole life, who was making timpani drums in his backyard. It occurred to us to take this same process and try to make a single piece of furniture out of it. We didn’t realize we were creating a new format of furniture until we saw people encounter it. At first, everyone thinks that they will fall out, but then it almost becomes a personality test; some people jump right in and flip upside down, whereas others won’t even sit in it.
The furniture is one thing, but then you’ve also got these huge architectural projects. Do they all come from the same vision?
We try not to make any distinction between small things, large things, artwork, architecture, et cetera. In the studio we mix everything up; we put large architectural pieces alongside small items, to get the eye to associate them with one another and create one giant melting pot of thinking. The thing that unifies all the work is that element of surprise—like the footbridge we did in London that rolls up into a ball.
Yeah, how does that bridge work?
There are 14 smaller hydraulic rams—seven on each side—plus one giant one underneath. As they expand, they cause the bridge to curl up to allow a boat to pass through the canal, or fold down to allow people to cross. Again, it is a matter of creating something that looks ordinary and making it surprise people.
You have been chosen to create the 2012 Olympic cauldron. Can you tell us anything about your visions for the project? Any surprises?
Well, the whole thing will be a surprise, because the truth is, we will be sued into a black hole if we talk about it. All I can say is we are involved, and we have an idea that we are very excited about. You will just have to wait and see!
Haunch of Venison: 550 West 21st Street, 212.259.0000
