PAST

I’m always… a positive person.
I grew up… with colour paints.
When I was a child, I wanted to be… a vet!!!
I never thought about me… working outside a creative world.

PRESENT

Right now… drinking a beer.
My favourite hobby… Begur, the beach and the sun.
My work means.. stability
I feel like at home… comfy.
On a rainy day… I use a lot of China ink.
I couldn’t live without… light.
I’ve always wondered how… I would be bold!!!
I wish I knew… when I’m talking seriously
Every day I like… to smile while looking to the mirror in the mornings.
I wish I could… fall sleep faster.
I’m a great believer in… keeping life balance.
An open secret about me… I love wood.
I wish I had… erase and save buttons.
A perfect day… is what I try to have each single day.
Art is… my passion, the way I express myself.
If you are going to travel to… India, wait one more year.
I’m bored… very few times

FUTURE

Someday I hope… I don’t hope, I’ve got it.
I’d like to be… father.
My next step is… large format pieces.
In ten years… 45.

Joshua, you studied architecture, you established your first studio, and you was co-founder of BDDW in NY City, what made you leave all this and move to Hudson Valley? Have you find there what you were looking for?
I had studied architecture in university, but to be clear, I never established an architecture studio practice. During school, I sought out jobs that might help teach me more about the practical side to building things like construction or work shop jobs. In school, I was aware that I was attracted to smaller scale design work, residential, homes on down.
Something about the accessibility, something about my own ability to execute the work myself and interact with the design process was what seemed important to me about my learning process. I remember quite well my desire to treat architecture like sculpture, something that I could carve out, something that I could roll around in and experience learning about it on that sort of level. Needless to say, this desire drew me away from university and directed me towards applying myself more immediately.
BDDW began as that practical extension. There was no road map or precedence at that point, just the desire to learn, to design, and to build. In this
respect, for me, nothing has really changed, I still have those desires and motivations. I wouldn’t say that I have necessarily left anything in moving to the Hudson Valley rather I have assimilated various experiences and moved on, each step a move forward in my life. Perhaps it is necessary to give some things up to move forward, but I don’t really think about life this way. Hopefully, in any case, growth is the natural consequence of experience. Have I found what I am looking for? The short answer is no, not yet. . . and although I am satisfied by many things in my life now, I am driven by the feeling that I can always do more, and that I can always do better.

What are your basics in life and work? Do you even divide them in two areas?
Here in the United States, we differentiate what we think about European life style in this way: In Europe you work to have a good life, here in the States we simply live to work. I am sure that this generalization is a gross overstatement, but there is the sentiment here that we are on a very dangerous treadmill that just can’t stop. I used to work seven days a week to get ahead until it became obvious to me that I didn’t know what I was trying to get ahead of! Also, there came a point that I became aware of all the other things that I was missing in my life, serious health and quality of life issues. I believe in the law of diminishing returns, that after a while you may be better off taking a well needed a break. I also believe that sometimes we need to create space in our lives to allow the rest of the world in. There are those people who claim that they are always at work. I could not physically always be at work, I would die of exhaustion. I think that what these people mean is that they are always trying to use their brains to further their own industry in some way, always open to having ideas or even dreaming about solutions when they are asleep. In my life and in my process, I don’t consider this kind of effort to be work. I am not suggesting that dreaming is not important, but that I draw a very practical distinction with productivity in the shop, a 9 to 5, 5 days’ work week, work as labor as “work” and the rest of the time as something else. To me, being creative is not work in this sense, it is a way of life.

You explain “discipline and practice to achieve inspiration”, from where do you get the strength for such an incredible discipline, and energy that you transmit through your work?
This is what I’m talking about. I think that I use work, and the structure of work to exercise my creativity and give it shape. I draw from inspiration from everywhere, if it is perceived to be strength it is only that I endeavor to be a conduit for things much greater than myself.
I don’t think that the idea of practice as a regular activity is by any means new concept, I think that it is the reality for learning any number of activities. When you are learning any kind of new “language” there is a point at which all of this practice begins to creep into your sub-conscious, a point at which you begin to dream in Spanish for instance, or hear music in your head. The inspiration comes from the energy that is put in and the energy comes from the inspiration.

What wood gives you that perhaps you have not found in other materials?
I could talk about wood all day. I find it to be an incredibly friendly, and easy material to work. This is not to say that it will always behave as you want it to or expect, but in terms of industry, wood is readily available and the tools needed to shape it are equally accessible.
Most materials have some latent “memory” that indicated how they were formed or will react, in wood this potential is very closely related to the material once being a living thing – this in itself is a unique quality of wood. All wood begins as a tree. For me, more than other materials this connection from one living thing to another is the most evident with wood. I think that even subconsciously we connect with the notion of growth, change, action, and reaction with this material. There is a certain natural vibration, or resonance that is shared and understood by this closeness.

Your turning designs are really great, but as you say, it is needed a lot of concentration for turning, and just no thinking, just the lathe, the wood and your hands. Does this work have the capacity to change your daily mood?
I talk about feeling as an important design tool. I use my feelings to intuit things that I don’t necessarily understand at first glance, or if I am unsure of the direction that a piece should take. I’m not referring to the sense of touch when I say feeling, I mean to describe something deeper, something inside. I think that there is a very close relationship between how I feel and the work that I am doing at any one point. There is definitely a correlation between being in a bad mood and being too dangerous, making terrible mistakes or just being unproductive. There is also the sweet spot where everything seems to be elevated, work and mood. Often, if I get stuck somehow, even sweeping the floor can help me to break out of a rut. I think that for me it comes down to a greater sense of productivity.

How comes up the idea about making your “Sculptural Kitchen Tools” ?
I love the idea that simple chores, or basic work around the house can be a moment of positive connection. We say “sculptural tools” because that is the way that they are conceived, as functional sculpture. I want my work to encourage people to look at, or experience their lives differently.

Most of them are spoons, any reason for it?
I think that spoons epitomize this kind of pedestrian, functional sculpture that I’m talking about. They are quite persuasive, iconic shapes really.

You say that each object, of this wooden tools, is part of a limited edition of 365 per year that celebrates a comfortable connection with daily chores and the love that goes into a home cooked meal. Explain it a bit for us please….
Originally, I asked myself what would happen if I committed to carving a spoon everyday ?. . . Conceptually, for the love of carving, but ultimately as a chore, a little time spent every day making the same thing. How do you keep approaching a task with love day in and day out, what keeps it all relevant, and what would I learn? 365 just presupposed a limit. I think about it as active investigation, or a learning process.

Have each type of wood a sound, a resonance different between them?
Of course.
The very wood that is chosen for the fronts of acoustic stringed instruments like guitars, is noted for its special resonance. Many “soft woods” like fir or spruce are especially good at becoming musical. Dense hard woods make pretty convincing percussive instruments.

Each object that you work on is unique; do you mark them in some way?
Often, I am thinking about something as I work on a piece, a concept or a word, sometimes a song or a poem and somehow I try to incorporate a fragment of this in the work. It can be in a very small way but somehow I like the idea of leaving a message. The spoons murals all have a little scrimshaw plaque set into the back. I sign art works, but I wouldn’t say that I was into overt branding. I strive for the designs to have a message of their own.

Do you write the story of each object somehow? It will be a good work about wooden language…..
I’m not sure that I have the discipline to put it all into words. It is however funny that you ask because I have been working on a book with Chronicle Books over this past year which is due out this next fall.
The title is – “The Artful Wooden Spoon”.The book is full of great images and I think good information.

I love your ‘Spoons Mural’, what do you try to express through it?
The plaque on the back of one of the panels may read something like “temperance”, or “fortitude” . . . but to me they are all about rhythm.

Talking about business, do you spend time in your work to publications or other media to make yourself know and increase sales, or you have someone to help you?
I spend as little time as possible doing these things, neither are they things that I am very good at. I am more prone to give things away rather than sell them, and I am terrible with the computer! Thankfully, I do have help when it comes to running the larger business. We always try to focus on the work first, good work can speak for itself.

What is beauty for you?
This is a very hard question. I have been thinking about it as an experience, a moment, and a convergence of many things. You know when something is beautiful, and you know when something is not. Right? But there are also things that are captivating and in-between. Beauty can also change, something that was once ugly is now seen in an entirely different light or, that which was once beautiful, now dull and drab. .
Perhaps it needs to be transitory to be beautiful. But what about objective, can it objective?
I think that the smell of the air just before it rains is beautiful.

What is the most difficult thing in your work? and the one you like more?
My work is full of hardship, the wood is heavy and the tools are sharp. Like owning any other business it has its ups and downs. It is not always easy, but it is a good life that is full of productivity, creativity and beauty.

Any advice?
You have got to believe in yourself, but other people don’t . . . so try to remember respect the ones who do, they are special.
Also – Do one thing at a time, if you get tired, take a rest.

What does wood represent for you?
It is a living material; I love the never-ending challenge of working with it.

First you select the wood, then you treat it. How did you learn to do it?
I am completely self-taught.

Do you have any favorite types of wood you prefer to work with?
My favorites are ash and oak wood.

Does each type of wood have their own sound, in resonance for example?
Yes that is true, and each wood is very different to work with. They also have different smells and so on…

Do you work on your own?
Yes I am self-employed and work alone.

What would be your ideal project?
A project with complete freedom, in budget and time.

What is the most difficult thing in your work?
To always have the right things in stock for individual requests.

Any regrets?
I never learned to play a musical instrument.

Any advice?
Use a crane for heavy loads.

PAST

I grew up… on a farm.
As a child, I wanted to be… a farmer.
I never saw myself… as an artist.

PRESENT

I am… 48 years old.
My favorite pastime… is cycling and gardening.
My work represents… my personal point of view of minimalism.
Working… in my studio is what I love to do.
I feel at home… with my family.
I currently live… in a small village in southern Germany.
On a rainy day… it’s wonderful to be in my workshop, much better than on a sunny day.
I couldn’t live without… my bicycle.
Everyday I like… to walk with our family dog.
Art is… very satisfying.
I would travel to… anywhere by bicycle.

FUTURE

In 10 years… I hope to still be doing what I do now, but with more time to travel.

Raul, how did you start observing and thoroughly drawing insects? Any reason for that?
Since I was a child, digging up rocks, catch insects and placing them inside glass bottles… both curiosity and attraction to that tiny world.

Is it a way of aware people about the existence of insects and their complex structure or is it just for fun?
Both aspects, I think it’s an unknown world and it’s becoming more interesting, I transmit curiosities, show endangered species due to pesticides or show processes like metamorphosis.

Is there any difference between nature and what you show on your pieces?
Talking about being inventive, there’s no difference at all. I keep natural proportions, I’m faithful to insect’s movements and to their environment such as wood.

Your pieces are similar to printmaking, are you inspired by any in particular?
There is a significant similarity between them, however it has more to do with tattoo world, talking about techniques and being accurate. I admire Ien Levin.

Your work base is wood, do you use its technique as in ancient printmaking drawings to create a template that hosts ink?
I haven’t worked so deeply with wood, I just draw using several calibrated points on different thicknesses on wood surfaces, ink spreads according to wood humidity.

What do you read on wood?
It’s like a palm where you can notice if it has knots where shoots grew, stains due to external agents infections or the growth between knots during irrigation periods… just like life itself.

How will your pieces grow old on wood? Will they know to age like wood?
I hope and want so, ink is light fast so black colour must be upheld for years.

Are you planning an approach between this tiny world and a larger scale one?
Being able to make larger scale pieces or wall painting (on wood) is my next goal.

How was your beginning on making these pieces, how did you combine it with your current job?
Just on my free time. I perfectly combine my working hours with my spare time! Even today I keep combining them, though orders and collaborative works keep growing!

Right now your work is quite known and you have several points of sale, do you have enough time to respond to all orders or do you impose yourself a limit?
For now, I can manage them, people understand the fact that time for delivery is needed when we’re talking about a personal and unique piece which needs its timing.

How do you see it in the long-term?
Honestly, I haven’t thought about it. I started shaping entomology world through my personal perspective and drawing knowledge, everything flows quite quickly. Nowadays, we are living a time when drawing has its own cult and value. I hope this tendency keeps growing.

How did you show your pieces in order to stand out?
I started with exhibitions and some points of sale in home décor stores where my pieces were physically shown. However, Instagram, has been my biggest support, it’s a highly visual social network which I daily use to show my work and personal perspective.

Is there any piece you wouldn’t give away?
Some pieces are born or grow during a specific time of your life and you’d like to remember them because their final result was affected… but, that’s the main characteristic in each piece… being unique.

Any story behind each piece? Or on the contrary, do you leave it open to customer’s interpretation….?
There are stories behind my pieces, customers interpret them attracted to insects and admiration to this specific world.

Would you like to make any collaborative work with other artists or people?
It’s always satisfying working with other people, getting to know about it and being inspired by it. I remember my past collaboration with Manuel Bolaño, discovering facts about his collection hidden world was really interesting.

Which is the hardest aspect in your work?
Working under pressure or with a short deadline.

Which is the one you like the most?
Drawing appeals to me. If I had kept doing what people ordered me, this wouldn’t have been the result.

PAST

I always… had confidence in people

I grew… in Poblenou, physically and professionally speaking

When I was a child, I wanted to be… I don’t have a clear souvenir; I guess I wanted to be a person

I never thought about myself… doing always the same thing

PRESENT

Right now… I try to live with all that’s implied

My favourite hobby… watching the people, the surroundings and the situations

My current job illustrates… asometimes what I observe and other times, what I want to tell or express

While working… I try to enjoy, to live, to say something and to have fun

I fell like at home… comfortable, calm, at least I try to feel so.

On a rainy day… I try to enjoy it

I couldn’t live without… being in contact with people, talking, hearing, arguing, learning…

I’ve always wondered about… why do we complicate our lives?

I don’t know… too many things

I wish I knew… languages, in order to make a better use of other people contacts

Everyday I like… living it, not just watching it passing by

I wish I could… have the same illusion as a child

I am a great believer in… relationships between people

An open secret about me… I like hearing about the history behind places and about the people that live there.

I wish I had… much more memory, but only for good things.

A perfect day… is the one which you can positively remember for a long time

Art is… the beginning of something. It’s the practice of transmitting emotions.

If you are travelling to… anywhere, I try to find out as much as I can.

I get bored… sometimes, it depends on the environment and the people around me

FUTURO

Someday I hope that… Culture gains prominence, considering everything that it’s involved

I would like to be… useful, valid, be updated

MY next step is … tomorrow

In ten years… I hope having evolved in every one of those ten years

You make really delicate work with wood, how did you begin?
I am from the third generation of Japanese traditional wooden bucket makers. I learned all techniques there and started my own studio.

How did you learn?
I have learned from my father and my grandfather how to make wooden buckets.

When you were a child, did you imagine yourself working on this?
I imagined that probably I would be. A Japanese craftsmen’s studio is also a residence for the family and the house I was raised in was just like that. I grew up watching my father and grandfather working on wooden buckets and my toys were wooden chips and shavings. Growing up in an environment like that, I thought of myself as being a craftsman as well, naturally.

What is the process to make a piece, from the beginning until it is ready to be sold?
First of all, I have to dry the wood. It takes 2 or 3 years.
Then slice a log in rounds. Cut them in pieces by using a rounded machete. Then dry those pieces for a few months in the sun, rain and wind. By doing that, the greases and scums of the wood come out, then I finally have a beautiful wooden surface.

I repeatedly whittle the completely dried wood by using a tool called SEN (a blade with handles to cut roughly), to arrange shapes. I have more than 200 types of tools at my studio. I make various shapes of wooden buckets using those tools. From a small sake cup (5 cm) to 2 meters long bath tub.

By using a tool called TAGA (hoop tighter), I tighten the wooden parts by using a ring made of metal or bamboo, to shape the wood into the bucket.

Whittling the surface of the wood again then putting on the bottom part.
Many Japanese style hotels and restaurants use my buckets for special occasions like parties and celebrations.

Can you make a living working with wood?
You cannot make a fortune making wooden buckets but it is wonderful to be able to make wooden crafts. Wood is natural and there is absolutely no wood which is the same, it is rounded sometimes and has unique lines drawn on the surface. It is a challenging job but I also think it is worthwhile.
Wood can tell us so many things. It talks about nature, techniques and philosophy. I have learned so much from wood and I am still learning.

Do you have an ideal project that you would like to develop?
I would like to challenge the versatility of wood, to link my products to architecture.

What is the most difficult thing in your work?
The most difficult thing: to know about all types of wood. I have worked over 25 years as a craftsman but I have such little knowledge about it. Wood is difficult.

I like finding new things. Wood’s capability and function, new designs and techniques.

Any advice to give to young people?
It is so much fun to make things using your own hands. It will reflect you as a human.

Is there anything you regret about making?
No regrets.

Antoni, you said an inspiring sentence “I used to do what I had to, now, I do what I really enjoy doing”, did you feel panicked when you decided to face this new vision about wood?
Not panicked, being panicked means motionless and that was what I didn’t need at that precise time. It was about looking backwards and taking it in advantage, immaterially and materially speaking.

You started working with wood because of your family legacy, do you think this material is the best way of expressing your ideas?
Maybe it’s not, but it’s indeed the best pleasant one when working with it.

Which language can you read from wood?
The one that tells me how it is. With all its properties and faults. This aspect can lead you to its maximum, if you do it well, the result can be awesome.

Knowing how to age like wood does… do you think we know how to age?
I think it’s a challenge. We have to work on it by ourselves, it’s a good investment for the future.

The “Otokos” are very special pieces, can be metaphors so as just pictures which show your daily realities. Tell us about how they emerge.
They are born from the need to create a character behind me or at my side, one which were able to critically observe, accurate and sometimes caustic, to the people who is around us or to the situations we face every day, and at the same time, were able to shape these people and perform those situations.

Which one is your favourite “Otoko”?
Because it was the first one and due to what it represents, the Otoko called “Problema” (“Trouble”).

Which one you would not sell never?
The piece called “Problema” (“Trouble”).

Your creativity has no limits by fashion, no specific calendar requirement, do you impose yourself any constraint or requirements?
So far as I am aware, I think I don’t.

CHow is the “Otokos” design process, do you make any prototype, sketches..?
As soon as I find a character or situation that catches my eye in both positive and negative manner, I start working with the idea, and at the time I clearly see it, I move on to the Otoko construction.

How do you communicate all this background story in each of your pieces? Do you leave it under each person interpretation?
Each piece’s name is the first step, if the person who’s looking at it is interested and curious about it, this communication starts and becomes a dialogue, and then, even turn into another interpretation. It’s an open process.

Would you like to do any workshop teaching how to work with wood?
Yes… however, it would depend on the student and his motivations.

When this kind of workshops are open to public, what do you learn from the visiting audience?
Most of the people are interested in knowing things about woodwork. I learn a lot because of their questions, mainly children’s ones.

TWould you like to work on a collaboration with other artist or any particular person?
Yes, but I reserve it for myself.

Which word would define your work?
Daily, 365 days of the year.

Which is the most difficult aspect of your work?
Critics, my closer colleagues opinion, but above else, my own opinion.

Which aspect do you like most?
The freedom at choosing my following piece of work.

How do you see your workshop in five years from now?
Apparently, almost in the same situation but with five years of experiences, soul, feelings, relationships and everything that is positively involved.

Is there anything you wouldn’t repeat professionally speaking?
Not to follow the line..

At the Design Schools you teach, what do your students contribute?
Students always contribute something. It constantly enriches you, as when they correctly solve a problem so as when the do not succeed. On the first case, learning is implied. On the second one is not so obvious, although it might be stronger. For a professor, it’s quite easy to distinguish among what is well solved and built and what is not. Translate it in a reasonable and argued way for a student to be accepted is not so simple. This issue might be quite demanding, due to you may be throwing hours of effort and study away, the student won’t give up easily (you have to understand that their obstinacy is almost a must).
Gaining their trust while you’re arguing about their work is a reiterative process and quite demanding which, at the end, enriches you.

I really like teaching, however, I sometimes collide with student’s motivation, which has nothing to with your teaching motivation. In your case, do your students transmit their personal motivations to their work? Do they have any external motivation?
I think that the lack of motivation you mentioned is one of the main problems that teachers must daily deal with. I have to admit that it’s something I haven’t been able to solve yet: is our commitment to supply this external drive or if it’s something that the student should include. I tend to think it should be the second option, however, due to the current picture, the social and economic context students and future professionals have ahead (and being aware of it), you cannot be so demanding with them. At the end, I try to do my best in the classroom by transmitting my passion to my profession… If by doing so I get to give them strength, it’d be perfect. If I don’t, you detach yourself from it and trust in your next lesson as a better one.

Do your students take part in your letterpress work as BunkerType?
I’d love that schools could have letterpress workshops. In fact, the most significant Design Schools in Europe own their letterpress spaces, but the truth is that in our country they’re rather unknown or useless. Every time I have the chance, at least I try to make one visit to my workshop; however, the difficulty of the process and the student’s ratio don’t help… Anyway, I try to include as many letterpress material as I’m able (basically it means how big my backpack is), which always help me to explain some issues, as analogical mechanisms are way more explanatory than any digital process. From a pedagogical point of view, it’s a useful resource not only by its loquacity, but its power of attraction onto students.

Which is the hardest aspect of manual printing?
I would say that changing your mind in regards with the process. Being able to understand that the trial/error system doesn’t work: build a text using 24 pt Bodoni font can take an hour. Adding it to a mould and test it, just ten minutes. To realise that you need a smaller letter block, just a couple of seconds. Removing it and repeating the process with a smaller letter block, could take another hour and a half. In other words, you might need a hole morning to do something that only would take a cmd+z action on your computer.

Which aspect do you like most?
I enjoy all the process, although the most satisfying aspect could be the removal action. Anyway, if I had to headlight only one moment, I’d say that, at some occasions, the instant you lift the paper up after your first print session might be magical.

How do you see your print shop in 5 years from now?
I’ve just expanded my workshop and I had had to move all my stuff from one place to another, so I’d rather not to image many changes like this! Furthermore, I’m really glad with all the growth of BunkerType, keeping like this would be enough, although… I must say that my challenge is to show my work outside Spain. If I had to think about any improvement, would be this one!

Is there something you regret professionally speaking?
We always do things that we can regret. It’s a fact. I’ve tried to learn from all my mistakes, and luckily none of them has been fatal, so… what is done, is done!

From all the things you’ve learnt about printing, what would you headlight and share?
Gutenberg’s mobile printing invention really shocked me. We often fall in the mistake of establishing ties between famous historical characters and their success, as we relate them with their inventions and discoveries. Although, we hardly ever get to know the process that they went through to get their achievements or how these ones influenced their lives. Gutenberg’s invention radically changed our history, without it, social and cultural changes would hardly ever have been possible centuries later. However, his career was surrounded by lacks of understanding and misfortunes which he could only save by being tenant and by knowing his transcendence. Suffice it to say that the whole process started at 1440 and lasted about 15 years, which is really well informed by the numerous trials he had to deal with and that ended up by confiscating his workshops and famous Bibles.

gave us the guidelines on which we assembled our first typographical mould; it was really fun and exciting when we saw the result. It’s curious, due to we constantly do it on our computers and without giving any value at all. The manual process makes you think about what you really want to show or to say. I completely understand that this can be Jesus’ passion. It was great!! You have ti try it making a workshop at his studio!

Jesús, since you first started to compile all the requested material for letterpress printing (printing by mobile terminal wooden and lead types), how has your life changed?
Undoubtedly my job at BunkerType has ended up displacing my professional projection, so now I must reconcile my work as a professor in all the schools I teach, with the huge amount of devoted hours needed to make this project work. This is translated into having less time for me and my family. However, the remarkable pleasure of being working in something I love and keeping on discovering new stuff day by day is a huge reward for me. Learning is something awesome that we usually stop doing when we reach a determined spot in our lives, almost without realising it. And suddenly, something catches your attention and you desire it to never stop. On the other hand, my work at Bunker has gave me the chance of knowing lots of interesting people with whom I share passion, emotions and work. A real luxury, indeed!

How has your learning process been, the reach of materials and info about each typography? It must have been such an extensive process…
The fact is that I’ve never thought about it as a process, mainly because during the first years I was just learning without any prefixed goal. I gradually discovered, by asking as much as I could and searching among the net. It was a really slow process, but also very satisfying one. Sometimes I spent weeks on finding out something which was quite easy, but I had no rush: I just enjoyed the process. Years came by and I realised that I wasn’t doing it so bad…

Other matter was about acquiring the material. At the beginning, I only had a few families of wooden block letters and nothing else. I thought it was enough added to an old restored letterpress I got, however, the amount of blocks requested to a proper start with is impressive and I must admit that really made me impatient to it. Besides, I had no idea about what was essential, so instead of going to old print shops without knowing what to ask for, I started buying the stuff online, basically from U.S.A. And United Kingdom. Little by little I learnt about the stuff and got through my initial shame. I began to identify old print shops where I could still find unused typographical stuff which I kept adding to my current personal collection (around 150 family lead letter block groups and 50 wooden ones), so as the huge amount of blank spaces needed by assembly, printmaking… In fact, this is a never-ending process: every time I can afford it, I keep buying interesting new stuff.

Each of your series I’ve seen, show a huge background and a remarkable poetic story, your designs are your own thinking, is there any of these personal thoughts that has result too difficult to be understood?
there any of these personal thoughts that has result too difficult to be understood?
Not everyone understands compositions and drawings – nor do I think it’s necessary – but my professional (de)formation as a designer forces me to always have something to tell, so that’s why I need that background you mentioned before: without having nothing to transmit I’m not able to move a finger. Thus, – and in a different way from an usual graphic design process – I don’t longer care about the receptor, or if the message is going to be clear or not. I just try to motivate my participations and to let the typographical elements to be the main characters. That is precisely why I always fulfil my pieces with some texts at my BunkerType website that contextualise and explain them, both as regards conceptual point of view and as technical and executive one.

Does Bunker from BunkerType come from your fist workspace?
BunkerType was born in 2009, although at that time it didn’t have or need any name. At the beginning it was only a small storage-room, no bigger than 8m2. I gradually acquired typographical blocks and a small manual Boston, which I didn’t even know where to place. Thanks to my faithful neighbour who gave me the opportunity of demolishing his dividing wall, I joint two storage-rooms and doubled my business: nothing less than 18m2! As you might know, that was a real luxury for me, but being realistic, it still was a small hole deep underground. When I decided I was ready to show my work, I had to baptise my workshop and without hesitations I used “Bunker” as an old friend used to warmly call my invention.

Nowadays I have a 70m2 space at the same building, but the appearance still reminds to the first Bunker. Its spirit still remains too so the name kept unchangeable: let’s say that it is still a Bunker underground, but bigger and way more comfortable….

Which letter has a deeper meaning to you?
Some letters, especially in some wooden letter blocks, have characteristics that make them special, due to its atypical modulation, its spatial features or the absence of optical corrections present in any current alphabet, but beyond that I don’t have any special predilection to any in particular. Although, if it’s any consolation, I always looked for “a” box in order to know how a letter family looks like.

Why there is always something orange on your prints?
The truth is that there’s nothing premeditated although you might be right. In the past, texts were always printed in black, leaving red colour as a secondary ink for initials or notes, it’s probably part of my DNA; I work with really simple elements and concepts, in that sense I think that my colour palette could end up being rather skinny.

At the office we use Abel typo, any history behind it?
There’re thousands of typographies! No, I don’t have any extra information related to that font, although I recommend you to carefully observe to letter “g” on a big enough body: it’s worth looking!

You run workshops at your letterpress workspace, do people get hooked and continue with their training?
I don’t plan the workshops as a training element faced to printing profession. When I was young I worked in a print shop and I learnt about its difficulties. The operators at that print shop started learning about the business since their young beginnings, promoting from 5th grade trainees to 4th, 3rd,… until reaching the category of Officer, in which they must had to promote until 1st Officer. When someone intends me to explain about printing profession, I always talk about this story.

On the other hand, what I do try to transmit through the workshops is the amazing feeling of physically working with letter blocks, in a tangible manner. There are so many different concepts, origins or conventions, used on typography – and logically applied to digital typography too (the one used by our computers) – which are way more comprehensive and logic explained by the traditional system. You’ll only need to place an “S” from any wooden alphabet inside a typographical form: first of all, you’ll realise that it’s a reversible piece and you might ask yourself if placing it in one direction or in other really matters. After that, as you print it, you’ll probably observe that something is not properly working and you’ll try by turning the letter block up and down, showing the complex system of corrections and visual compensations used in graphically building each letter block (in this case, a light elevation over the central axe which divides the letter and compensates the visual weight of the superior body over the inferior one). Another even easiest experiment: pick a geometrical alphabet whose “O” letter has a circular shape (for example, Futura font) and compare two letter blocks that contain both “O” letters. If you keep turning these two blocks and confront them, you will find out that the block which contains them is not a perfect square. This characteristic – which might well be unnoticed in the digital system – is strongly shown in the mobile system and allow us to understand how optical corrections are needed to show circular elements (as a paradox, in order to show a circle as it is, we must do a slight width decrease). Finally, something as simple as the size: we all know that a typographical body is measured in points, but… what is a point? What does it mean that a letter is 36pt height? Which is the measurable distance on a letter? All these answers unknown by a majority of designers, might be explained just by holding one lead type… In brief, I’ll never end…

What the most attractive aspect for those who attend your workshops? And about you, to give them?
Actually, both workshops and online shop, arose for making BunkerType self-sufficient: the idea was adding new material from the workshops and the purchase of online sales, although I’m afraid that my impatience and eagerness were stronger. Anyway, workshops are other way of sharing my activity down in the Bunker and knowing interesting and very grateful people. Mainly designers, professionals or students, artists and people who are keen on the field, join the workshop in order to find out more about something that they barely know before, just by reading on books. The fact is that they build a nice and warm work atmosphere and when they are absorbed on the work it’s hardly impossible to throw them out! Something that I’ve learnt through all these years is that we tend to be so used on working on the results rather than on the process that when this order is inverted, we lose track of time. This is a very satisfying feeling.

What would you say to encourage people to sign up for a letterpress printing workshop using lead and wood mobile typos?
Sorry about saying this so sincerely, but if someone needs any external motivation to attend any of these workshops; I rather say they should stay at home…

It will continue… and we’ll show you the mini workshop we attended to!!

David, you have done studies related to Art. How do you see yourself in your workshop, making a different type of “artwork”?
The questions that we try to answer about what we understand today in Art, are different from the ones I ask myself in an artisan workshop, and it is possible that from the point of view of an anthropologist there isn’t a big difference: in both workshops, objects are fabricated with an intention and a fixed function. What is different is maybe the art definition according the context.

The artwork experience and being surrounded by all the machines wasn’t the unusual part for me. For an artist, the context becomes really comfortable when he finds himself working with his hands.

Working in a new type of workshop is the result of the past one. Along the way, I haven’t always had a workshop, and this workshop has had a different function from the one it had before that and so on. Step by step, your path is being drawn; each previous step gives a new one, which makes you find yourself in a place you didn’t expect at all.

How did you learn to work with wood?
I am one of the sons of the rural-to-urban migration generation from the 60’s. I have lived between both worlds in a really intense and yet natural way and I have learned a lot from both. My parents have a good balance between “knowing” and “making”, which in those years had a deciding effect on survival and your daily welfare. A lot of houses during those years, mine included, were self sufficient in several aspects. Talent and ability were useful to help the lack of resources. From a small restoration project to a big construction project, there was always a technical team on it. There were people everywhere from whom you could learn something. And my father worked really well with wood. Although I had other interests later on, I suppose this was the seed that grew for my work with wood. The techniques I learned later on were ones that I taught myself.

You fabricate your designs, but do you fabricate designs for other designers?
Nowadays I have to combine both works to be able to support the workshop.

From the beginning I have always thought that the technical part is something related to the fabrication or the development part of my own designs. This means that when I decide to develop some furniture or interior design projects, the condition is that I do it myself, to be able to be present during the whole process as a way of becoming responsible for them.

I really like the technical part, fabricating, when I take part of the idea process. That does not mean that I do not enjoy designs from others, because I learn a lot from them. It may seem paradoxical, but I am not interested in the trade itself. I know that the effort it takes to learn something has to be profitable, but without rigidity, leaving doors open to other interesting paths.

What part of the bread’ world attracted you?
My interest in the bread’ world comes from my childhood, but it has been a few years since I have discovered a world that fascinates me and that I enjoy a lot. Bread is like our civilization, if you take off the crust, the breadcrumbs fall out bit-by-bit; if you scratch a bit, people start to take little by little. Bread is something complex that has a simple appearance, full of ramifications and implications. Breadcrumb is something alive, full of things.

Is it easier to fabricate your own designs or the ones designed by others?
When I think about an object I think about how to fabricate it. Let’s say that in that moment there is a tension that comes up that can be good or bad for its development. I adapt the designs to my resources, but I always try to go a bit further. The resources can set constraints on your work, sometimes they do not allow you to do something, but at other times it can be a surprise and you can discover new possibilities. Sometimes, the work I do at the workshop determines the final object, as much as the idea makes you look for new resources to fabricate it, or the mistakes that come up give you new possibilities. You make your way as you go, as Machado’s way.

When you work on your own, you can adapt your resources to the piece, or the piece to your resources; this is more difficult when constructive solutions are already defined. However, each object is different, more or less complex, and more or less negotiable.

Would you like to collaborate with an artist in particular?
I like collaborations (even the ones that can be developed from the work I do alone at my workshop). I really like to do it if the other person enjoys his work as much as I do, and it can be developed with several professions or in different areas, even with ones that are well distanced.

Is it easy to turn your design ideas into reality?
My evolution as a designer is really slow. I do not have specific training, which sometimes is a handicap, and at others an opportunity.

I do not have a big interest in designing, I do not know if it is because I am shy, or because there is already so much that exist in our world and I don’t want to generate more noise.
For me, thinking and making are linked, so experience, process and time are really important to be able to find the right solutions. There are some objects that are born really quickly and others that you are only able to understand several years later.

Which of yours designs do you like most?
I have some designs that have given me great satisfaction, but I think each element has its context and moment. Based on what I have said before, there are some things that you can only appreciate after a certain time goes by, only then can you find its true value.

Which is your best seller?
Until recently, I used to make unique pieces, prototypes or custom designs. The first that I have sold, in limited series and always made by hand, are kitchen utensils. The best seller piece is a cutting board design.

What is the difference between you and other carpenters?
From the physical labor point of view, I think the only differences are the movements inside the workshop, the choreography, and the style. Further more, I feel closer to the concept of creating things than to the trade of designing, as R. Sennet would say.

My goal is to return to the workshop of a designer, that place close to the artisan workshop but full of energy and illusion to create something new.

Do you teach?
No.

What is the most difficult in your work and what do you like the most?
The most difficult thing is probably keeping the workshop open day after day, and trying to make a living out of it. The fact of working alone has in this sense a positive part; if things go wrong, I am the only one affected, I find this reassuring.
What I like the most is the possibility to enjoy and to learn with each project.

What would be the perfect commission?
As I said before, the perfect commission would be the one with a fair share of conditions, pressure, liberty and remuneration. Let’s say something really unlikely…

If you could change some professional decision that you have already taken, what would it be?
I would change my attitude at certain moments, and take back the lost hours spent in my works that were not worth it.

Is there something you would do again although it was something crazy?
Although it was an enriching experience, I can only think about one crazy thing that I did that I would never do again: the construction of what used to be my house.

Any advice for someone who is thinking about developing his or hers own business?
I would prefer to exchange advice instead of giving advice. For me, I would say: do something that you’re passionate about and always have the desire to make things properly.

Samuel, you have studied Art History and you have been examining the “smallest element” in menswear, and you’ve decided to design cufflinks; how did you realize that was what you wanted to pursue?
In 2007 I began investigating the “smallest element” in menswear, men’s shirt buttons, with the goal to propose that theme to Arte. Six months later, this research brought me to an object, whose shape was similar to the one of a cufflink. After an article in ELLE magazine, I created my own brand in September 2009.

Nowadays, I keep on doing my research, always about cufflinks, but I am thinking about expanding my research into menswear.

Your art history studies help you as inspiration for your designs?
I have been lucky because I have grown up in an artistic ambiance; I have had a life of visiting museums and exhibitions. Nowadays, although I have less free time, the place where I feel more comfortable is being surrounded by exhibitions, I pass the time there, and I even think on my next collections.

In your alphabet…..”S……s’habiller en prenant son temps”, (taking your time to get dressed”) do you show your “life concept”?
Yes, or better, my ideal, my dream. I have to say that the more time goes by, the more I run…

What is your ultimate goal in your work? What’s next?
To simplify objects and to better understand their function and their meaning.

Where did you learn the technique to fabricate cufflinks?
I learn everyday in an autodidactic way. I have created my own tools, my own techniques. I have my own little kitchen!!

Which is the main difference between your actual work and what you used to do as a curator and working for Arte magazine?
On one hand, it is very different, because I have devoted all of my energy showing and trying to understand the work of one or several artists; and on the other hand, it is similar because you have to tell stories when explaining your work.

These two activities are very different but in a certain sense, I work with them hand in hand.

I do not establish any differences between my actual work as an artisan and my old work as a journalist. I always do a lot of research before creating a collection, in the same way that I do for a documentary.

What is the most difficult thing in your work?
The most difficult is to make a choice between lots and lots of ideas, to be able to have a coherent proposal and to be able to develop it the right way! Sometimes it takes me weeks, or even several months to specify an idea…

Who makes cufflinks by hand in Paris besides you?
I do not know anyone else…

What is the difference between your designs, those from other designers or even those from big fashion brands?
In my opinion, which sets me apart from them is that I am one of the few who work only with cufflinks, trying to find them a meaning and a function in menswear. As for big fashion brands, these objects are derivatives that they try to connect with their brand identity.

You work with your wife, what’s it like always being together?
We are joined at the hip; we are complementary and inseparable! We are lucky!

What would be your ideal project to develop?
The one I have today, but with more products to be developed and hopefully more collaborations.

Do you think that artisans are more important today because society has changed due to the crisis?
One of the good sides of the crisis is the research over a more responsible consumption, qualitative and ethic, and maybe the artisan way can cover some demand that the massive market cannot…

A lot of artisan products are expensive and they are not necessarily needed in our daily lives, they are a luxury, what are your thoughts about this? And how do you sell your work based on luxury?
I don’t think artisan products are necessarily expensive. For example, artisans here have created the platform “Ateliers de France”, they propose products with comparable prices to consumer products, sometimes even cheaper. ON the other hand, luxury world is not only based on handmade products. We usually associate luxury and artisan, especially since big luxury brands have been communicating their expertise and crafts.

On my part, I like to remember the etymology of the word luxury, luxus in Latin. It is also at the origin of the word dislocation, fracture and even difference. Trying to give significance to my objects, to eliminate its wrong use as a gadget, and to make them stand out; they differentiate themselves from other cufflinks that I find in the existing market. As far as I know, I do not want and anyways can’t use the current rates that the big luxury brands use. I sell a product for its meaning, and not for its label. From this point of view, I put myself in the position of an artisan and not in the position someone in the luxury market.

How did you become known for your work?
All is relative and I always have the impression that only my mother and my wife are aware of what I do.

Any advice?
Always believe in your lucky star.

We have seen your work, and it is really attractive. Working with different materials, clay, wood and concrete, how do you define your work?
Materials are the foundation of my exploration as an artist. That said, I see myself as a clay artist that uses other materials to give context to my work in clay. For example, I think we can better understand what a rough red clay is and means when it is paired or grouped with a piece of oak or a shiny strip of brass. For the same reason I love seeing my work in someone’s home where it inevitably interacts with other objects that are used or collected.

Do you explore and fabricate by yourself?
Yes, the craft of making my own work is very important to my practice. All of the micro decisions that happen along the path of production are what uniquely makes my work my own. The feedback I get from working the material with my own hands allows the work to grow and continue to develop. In the spring of 2013 I graduated from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville , IL, USA with a MFA in ceramics. This was a major achievement for me and became a launching point to become a self-sustaining artist. Because craft is so embedded into my practice, I spent almost six months converting an old brick garage into a functional studio space. I purchased almost all of my equipment used and restored everything into working condition. I’m very proud to call the space my own as it allows me to do most everything from woodworking, welding, sandblasting and clay work independently.

In your work, part of it is functional, and part of it is sculptural, which do you prefer more?
That’s a tough question for me. In many ways I see both pottery and sculpture as part of a whole, aside from the obvious, you can’t drink coffee out of a 100-pound sculpture. But the concepts that I apply to my work are in both modes of working. I think about minimizing my forms’ attributes to bring a sense of clarity to the work and I think about my use of material and conveying information through the material choices and pairings. To answer your question I think I am currently very much interested in sculptural vessels rather than tableware that I suppose falls right in the middle of function and sculpture. Working this way I can explore surfaces that may not be ideal for serving food from, but offer a uniqueness not always seen in everyday life. If one needs to, you could always toss your hat or keys into one of these types of pots.

What do colors mean for you?
Color, for me, is rooted in the material. I work with a lot of different clays: red, white, black, grey, brown and mixtures of all of these. If I can, I let the clay speak for itself in terms of expressing color. I have been doing a lot of testing to build attractive layers of slips, oxides and commercially available pigments. I also collect natural clays and organics that can burn out in the firing. Sometimes I use glaze in my work, but I seem to prefer opaque and matte glazes that appear integrated into the clay itself.

You teach ceramics at St. Louis Community College Forest Park, is there anything that you try to teach to your students, that you did not learn at school?
As a young teacher, school is still very fresh on my mind and I can very clearly remember the successes and failures as I explored the medium in the academic setting. I also remember introductory ceramics being very structured where emphasis is placed on repetition to learn the fundamentals of craft. While I still see plenty of value in this approach, I have begun to allow and encourage students to have a bit more freedom while starting out. I want the students to discover on their own terms, and while this sense of discovery is underway, it is my job to offer feedback and suggestions. I also try to encourage the acceptance of their perceived mistakes and to sometimes embrace and use these mistakes to their advantage. Lastly I try to teach students that our work does not need to be perfect, and that small nuances in form and surfaces can make their work stronger.

What does teaching mean for you?
Teaching for me is simply an ongoing conversation with the students where I bring my experiences and they bring theirs. Together we work on growth.

What is the process for a ceramic design until it is ready to be sold?
I usually work in a small series. I’ll often start off making a handful of a type of form, each with slight formal variations like proportion, scale, and surface differences. I like to see these through the process and evaluate them after they have been fired. After I have this finished information, I try to make more utilizing the best results until I am very happy with the work. Sometimes I am never quite satisfied and I’ll keep going through the processes.

How did you begin? Did you have any commissions to work on?
As a general “maker of objects”, I always seem to have plenty of projects to work on, some being commissioned work. Currently I am developing a line of ceramic vessels that are all fired to cone 6 in an electric kiln. I’m doing a lot of new testing and I hope to have plenty of new work to showcase in the summer of 2014.

Was it hard? Have you ever been discouraged?
I’m highly motivated right now to finish the aforementioned line of ceramic vessels, but along the way I have had my fair share of setbacks. Some of the surface testing I have undergone has given me unfavorable results, but it only motivates me to keep working at it.

What would be your ideal project?
I really enjoy seeing my objects in spaces, such as living or working spaces. I would love to work with other designers where together we can find appropriate settings for my work to reside, even if it is simply for a promotional photo shoot. I learn from this type of engagement, where context informs the work and visa versa.

Do you dedicate time in your work to publications or other types of media to make yourself known and increase sales, or do you have someone that helps you?
As an emerging artist, I am still working on this element of the picture. Right now I am actively photoblogging both my work, other great ceramic works, and architectural spaces. In the past few months of doing this I have generated a lot more interest in what I do, but I also feel like I am doing my part to spread the word on handcrafted clay work and how this craft fits into the modern world. You can check it out at phillipfinderceramics.tumblr.com

Which is the most difficult thing in your work?
I struggle the most with focusing on a single mode of work. In graduate school for example, I wanted to show that pottery, sculptural vessels, and sculpture can all work together both formally and conceptually. My thesis exhibition showcased all of these modes of work together in a cohesive platform. Now, with a shift into studio practice and teaching, my biggest struggle is to hone in on the best ideas, and produce within reasonable parameters. I think, in time, my portfolio will continue to engage with this diversity of sorts, but in the mean time I think a single mode of work will bring strength to what I do as an artist.

What do you like more from your work?
I have to remind myself to live in the present, although I have great ambitions as a clay artist. Generally, I want to make more work and grow a larger audience.

Tell us how a normal day in your work is.
On the days that I can work a full day in my studio, I try to get an early start. My wife Janelle is also a teacher. She shakes me awake early and my role is to get up and make us both espressos. After she is out of the door I check my emails and my photo blog. I try to make daily contributions to the blog. Following this I’m out to work in the garage studio. Sometimes I squeeze in a jog first. I try to get to the studio from early morning to 5pm, but sometimes I get caught up in domestic duties, and my studio time is extended late into the night. This winter has been my first stretch of work in the new studio, and because it is quite chilly out there, I have been doing a lot of hand building techniques that don’t require getting wet like it does on the potters’ wheel. I cycle through days of primary construction and days of where finishing touches are the main focus. I am also reading a book right now called Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey. If you are interested in the routines of artists and how they structure their day to day lives, I would highly recommend it.

An advice?
Pay attention to what other artists are doing around the world and try to keep up the momentum of your own work.

Irene, Ixone, you started to design and manufacture your own jewelry to complement your outfits, now that you have “PEDRUSCO” going on, do you still use them?
Sure, we have to test them, haha, we love to wear our pieces and see how they respond over time and thus improve on the next collection. Moreover we feel very comfortable because we give a touch to neutral outfits. Nowadays, it’s complicated and seems unwise to consume every next trend of every next season, so a neutral background and a good jewellery accessory solves many outfit problems.

I could not leave without buying the green one….what do you think???

How did the name “PEDRUSCO” come up?
When we began to create our pieces, we started to work with many different materials; we suffered for a while until we found a material that would meet our aesthetic concerns. We found a polymer, to which we gave shape, the first few forms were reminiscent of natural forms, like rocks and stones. Our graphic design team Meneo, aware of all these findings, haha, guided us well until we found the name pedrusco, a name that we loved by its comic sense in spanish.

What inspires you to design collections, the material, the shape, the color?
It is difficult to define exactly what inspires us since we consider everything to be at the same level. In our collections the color is just as important as the material.
A Belgian jewellery designer made asked a question that we found to be very interesting… what makes an object beautiful? Its shape, its color, the material used to create it?
After hearing this, we began experimenting with basic geometric shapes, we combined some of the forms tat came out of this experimentation to create a rhythmic yet balanced composition.
The material we work with is a polymer (family of plastics), which change depending on the way you work with it (carving, sanding). We also use wood, showing its true nature, undisguised, and using its texture or natural pattern (veines of the wood). We have also created artificial textures, such as our “marble”, we work the polymers a certain way to get that natural marble texture.
In terms of color, we use our own pastel shades, that we have created, so each piece is unique “pedruscos”, it is pure craftsmanship.

Do you have a designer who inspires you?
Many designers influence us, however, not only from the fashion world but also everything that surrounds a product. Graphic images, furniture, interior designs… we live in a world of images. The use of wood in our collection is a clear influence of the Nordic design, and even the marble, both in decoration and fashion, is quite trendy nowadays.
But to highlight an artist, I would have to say Ek Thongprasert, for his concepts and use of material.

After a year and a half, your work has had good results, how do you see yourselves in 5 years?
Haha… yes, we are really very happy, we never thought of getting this far. Everything begun as a game, we are very fortunate to be doing what we love and to have such a positive response from it. In the near future, we would like to dedicate all of our time to this exciting project, achieving our goals, a step at a time and someday, if all goes well, make a living of it.

1 year ago, did you have an idea of where you would be today?
Haha, absolutely not… 1 year ago we began to make jewelry accessories for ourselves without any goals, it was a hobby with which we had fun. We would have never dreamt of being where we are today a year ago.

Did you think at some point, that what you were doing would lead you to a dead end?
Yes, many times, but we have still kept on going and doing things. We believe that when someone starts a creative project they must surround themselves by constructive people, it is essential. Going in that direction, we have always been supported by Meneo, who have encouraged us and given us a good feeling of security, which it is always what an artist lacks of at the beginning.

Any material preferences for your “pedruscos”?
Well, I do not know if we have a preferred material, but I think it goes more by stages. We have been experimenting for some time with the polymer and wood and we still have plenty to discover. We stay open-minded about any type of material as long as it meets our aesthetic needs.

And color?
We could talk about the absence of color, we love white, but we also have a liking for pastels, when well combined..

You design the pieces, you fabricate them, did it take long to learn, or is it still evolving?
We do all the designs and manufacture of the parts, we are very proud of it, and we try to explain the method of work to our customers. As for learning, we are two very restless people; we hope to learn all throughout our lives and stay open to new things.

How long does the fabrication process take until you can send off a piece it to sell?
Well, it is difficult to define the exact time per necklace; the process is long because of all the required steps for a refined workmanship.

With the time it takes to make a piece, how do you determine the price of it in the end? Do the stores who sell your products guide you?
We have a way of calculating the differences between the costs of materials and the time spent on a piece, to give a reasonable price. In the end, we are aware that prices have to be competitive and we try to follow this, taking into account our costs, but we prefer to sell less and have a product of quality.

Each piece is unique; do you name or number them?
We name them but do not number them; you just give us a great idea, haha…

What have been the worst and the best moments of your work so far?
The best part is when someone compliments you for your work it gives you a great feeling, that provides you with even more energy. There have been a few bad moments, but not enough to erase the good ones…

Would you like to do collaborations with a designer?
Of course, we love to exchange ideas. We will be collaborating very soon with Helena Rohner taking part in her project “invited”. Starting June 12th, we will be holding an exhibition in her store for two weeks and we are really looking forward to it.

Do you accept commissions for a specific piece?
Yes, of course. We always tell our clients that being at the head of the creative process, anything is possible. They usually ask us for existing necklaces in a specific color, but we would be delighted to respond to the clients’ wants and taste.

What would be the perfect commission that you would like to be given?
Well, soon one of us is getting married and we will be designing a necklace for that special day. This type of project makes us dream. People who give us full responsibility for a project for a special event; this is what we prefer to anything else.

What is the hardest part of your job and what do you enjoy most about it?
The hardest part is to find time to think, it is complicated but we believe it is very important. What we enjoy the most is to play music and make pieces for ourselves, without thinking of anything else.

Today, what piece would you consider to be a great success?
We have no “great success pieces”, the collection is varied and fairly compensated, but to point one out, perhaps the “cowboys”, for us it is a design that we are proud of.

Something you would not repeat….
Never say never, but we will never return to a job we do not enjoy, that would be awful!

Something you would do again, just for the experience?
Being a part of the street markets, its like playing musical chairs, haha… It was crazy, but we would do it again for all of the knowledge we acquired.

Any advice to give?
Work hard and trust yourself to get things done, do not give up at the sight of one setback, and mostly love what you do.

Images by MDBA

This photo is presented in the book from  Sergio Herman ( Desire)

Credits Photography: : ©2014 Tony Le Duc for Desire / Minestrone Culinary Publishers

Niels , you studied first Handcrafted Joiner & Furniture Design and after finishing it, you went to Design Academy, so that is the reasons why you fabricate each product that you design, because it is not very normal, taking into account that you work with wood, glass, ceramic, and even experiments mixing different materials!
Working with different and specific materials and production techniques primarily trigger my inspiration to start new projects. After exploring the possibilities in working with a specific type of material or in using a specific production technique I try to find a way of applying this in an everyday product. I like the variation of working with different materials.

Your designs are diverse, but over each one, you create a function very attractive, for example “breadspoons” with which you have the measures to bake your own bread;  “water chemistry” which shows us some of the chemical elements that there are in water….How does it work? Do you think about an idea, and you make several designs over it, even if it is sculptural and not a functional object? Tell us about it…
I strive to create timeless products that fit nicely in every environment but that come with a story behind it; I see design as a mix of craft, science and storytelling. ‘

Often I start with something that I find interesting and do some research around it. When I find a useful or interesting fact I start designing. First an idea forms in my mind before I start making several sketches. But already soon after that I start making little models; I get the most affinity with a project when I make 3D models and tryouts. These, together with computer drawings, form my end-product.

How did you find out about the chemical elements in water and its reaction with water? How did this idea come out?
Being in Madrid, Spain, I drank some tap water and I noticed a very strong taste of chlorine. This aroused my interest and I started doing some research to tap water. Quite soon I discovered that tap water contains around the 24 different substances. I investigated what the effect of some of these substances was when they come into contact with a copper plate. Some of these substances created such beautiful colour on the copper that I wanted to use this on a design of a water carafe.

Let’s talk about “graphlights”?, it is really interesting your work developed on this light, and the experiments that you make with different materials. You have to work a lot over material’s properties to get conclusions, do you do it by your own? Which part you like more from this, design part of research part?
Graphite is a material with many different characteristics; the applications of graphite are infinite and for this it is highly valued in the industry. It is a very good electricity conductor but it can also serve as a dry lubricant. And this way there are many more forms and uses of graphite in our everyday life. But strangely enough: graphite is barely used in everyday products. The multi-applicability of graphite and its scarce application in everyday products formed the root of my interests and I made it a personal challenge to design something which the regular customer can use.

Because good electricity conductivity is a major characteristic of graphite I made a lamp completely consisting of graphite. I divided the lamp in two parts; one part is the positive and the other the negative terminal. When these two parts make contact the light switches on. This way there is no need for an ordinary switch; separate the two parts and the light will switch off again.

The fact that graphite is also a perfect lubricant makes that the lamp can easily be pointed at a specific point thanks to the revolving part of the lamp.

To answer the question: yes I do almost everything on my own. But when I need specific information I attempt to contact experts on the topic to help me. The design part is still the part I like most but in the case of the graphite lamp there is no design without research. Sometimes I get carried away in doing research; then I take a step back and go back to the basics.

How would you define you work?
I am a designer who loves minimal design and simple lines; I strive to create timeless products that fit nicely in every environment. The design counts first but I like it when there is a story behind the design. I want people to get attracted by the design but when they hear or read the story behind the product they should get even more enthusiastic.

I am sure you make several pieces just for research, do you sell them? Or are part of your research progress?
Because I start really soon with making models there are indeed several pieces before the final product is made. But this is just part of the process. I photograph them and store them.

Each piece you fabricate, you consider it as unique piece being handmade?
Most of my products are unique pieces but nowadays I try to make products that are more suitable for the industry. The process is still the same but at the end I talk with a producer and if needed I adjust my designs a bit to make them producible. The best feeling is still when a lot of people are willing to buy my products and they can do so.

Do you make any mark to recognize your designs?
My mark is the style I design and people will recognize my own name, which I put on my products.

Which is the process for a ceramic design until it is ready to be sold?
I start making models with foam, paper, cardboard or any other material that I can use. Next, I make a first ceramic model myself or I give an exact model made out of foam to a producer who makes the first samples of ceramic.

When I’m confident about the final design I start talking with production companies to see what is possible with regard to the (possible) limitations related to the production process. If necessary I make slight changes and then the product can be produced and brought on the market.

How did you get the commission for Oud Sluis restaurant? Tell us about this experience; it had to be great…
After I published my “breadspoons” on the Internet I got lots of emails from all corners of the world. After several days I received an email from Oud Sluis with the question whether I was interested in collaboration with them and obvious I didn’t have to think long about that.

Which was your source of inspiration for those sets for Sergio Herman?
Sergio Herman sent me an email after he had seen the “breadspoons” on the internet. He liked the concept of using them for making bread, but he was primarily charmed by the design of the spoons and wanted to use them for presenting his dishes in a beautiful way.
I got the inspiration for designing the “breadspoons” from home baked bread. I love baking bread myself, love the taste and the smell, especially in the morning. Instead of weighing all the ingredients using a scale, I wanted to ‘invent’ something that makes baking bread at home easier and less time consuming.
That’s how I initially came to the design of the “breadspoons” ,which later obviously turned out to be perfect for serving high quality food as well.

Is there any material you have not work with and you would like?
There are a lot of materials I haven’t work with yet but that keeps it interesting. There is not one in specific material at the moment, but who knows what will be next?

Are you influenced by anyone? Any European designer?
There are a lot of good designers who make beautiful products, but the difficult part is to keep on doing this, product after product. Designers who I think make really good products or have a really nice way of working are, for example,  Jasper Morrison, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Nendo, and Benjamin Hubert.

Have you had a mentor or someone that has guided you?
Next to my teachers at the Design Academy Eindhoven I did my internship at Arian Brekveld who is a really good designer with a great eye for detail and perfection. I’m still working there a few days per week, which for me is a great opportunity to gain experience, learn from him, work on great projects and have fun.

Which would be your ideal project?
Nowadays I try to enhance myself in designs for the culinary world. Next to Sergio Herman I received a new assignment from Hans van Wolde from restaurant Beluga. At this moment these are my favourite projects: to design products for such good chefs and for such beautiful dishes. I hope to get more involved in this world so I can do more/bigger projects for top restaurants, and who knows, maybe a a complete restaurant interior.

Do you work by your own, with that production for  Sergio Herman?
The production for the “breadspoons”for Sergio Herman I did on my own. Frans Ottink, (a Dutch ceramist) made the spoons in porcelain as he is famous for his beautiful and high quality. I made the wooden parts (the grips) myself and did the final assembly of the spoons in my studio (see photo’s).

How do you deal, as an artist, with the highs and lows?
I think as an designer you don’t have to deal in a different way with highs and lows than any other person. Of course you hope there are always highs but on average I think it’s important to remember to stick to who you are and be yourself.

Do you spend time in your work to publications or other media to make yourself known and increase sales, or you have someone to help you?
I try to spend a lot of time on publications and other media, I think this is really important for my work. Internet is a very usefulmedium for this. I have my website website, Facebook, twitter  and I also make use of blogs. Besides internet, magazines remain a great medium for publication about products.

Which is the most difficult thing in your work?
I think the most difficult thing is to keep oversight and stick to the planning. A day has just 24 hours and these need to be spent in the good way.

Which is what you like more from your work?
The best part is when a product is finished and ready to be used or ready to be sold. Of course the design part is the part I really like to do but when a product is finished it gives a good satisfaction.

Tell us how a normal day in your work is
I have not really a ‘nine-to-five’ working rhythm; I think that is also not possible with a creative job. Sometimes I work during the night, sometimes I work during the day. When I don’t ’feel like’ designing I do some other things that need to be done. I think this is the most productive way for me.

What is your biggest dream for the future?
I think my dream is a kind of cliché… But I hope that in the future I get internationally well-known with my designs and products. That means that people appreciate my products and that is finally what I work for.

What is beauty for you?
For me beauty is minimalistic, simple lines and detail.

An advice?
Enjoy what you’re doing, and be adventurous.

Trini, Pablo, first question: Where does your name ANTOÑITO Y MANOLIN come from?
Our brand name is a tribute to our parents, they inspired us and continue to do so everyday. Their vision about the arts and its implications on different disciplines such as architecture, drawing, investigations of materials and form or hand made work are the pillars on which Antoñito y Manolín’s designs are based.

Everyone has studied different things, Trini, humanities and journalism and a masters in cultural management; Pablo, business management and a masters in international commerce then woodwork. How did you start ANTOÑITO Y MANOLIN?
We come from different backgrounds, but we share a lot: one has extensive training and professional experience related to culture and arts, and ability with numbers from technical business training and the other is supplemented by his creative sensibility and appreciation for the beauty of things. We wanted to find a common path in which our formal training we had acquired individually could complement our respective likes, concerns and self-taught design. We had different furniture products which we wanted to make and started with lighting. But the brand represents a way of working, a definition of our aesthetic tastes and little by little we will make other designs. Pablo’s training as a cabinet maker provided us an in depth knowledge of how to achieve the result we desired for our pieces.

How do you know each other? When you work as a team, does everyone have a role or do you share the work?
We met in 2007 through a mutual friend, since then we have shares many ideas and wishes, Antoñito y Manolín is the attempt to capture a part of them. We believe in the need for a calmer pace of life, where the objects satisfy both aesthetic and functional needs, they are not created with cheap materials and long working hours, so they enjoy a greater longevity beyond fashion. We complement each other in our work, ideas come up from both sides and with mutual respect we go to the workshop daily.

Do you fabricate only your own designs or also from other designers?
We love collaborations. We believe that we can contribute to a project en all phases, from the conception of the idea to the finishing of the piece. Obviously it depends on the client (whether they be architects, interior designers of final clients)

You use wood and brass in your designs, you work on the wooden parts yourselves, but the brass parts too? Or do you rely on another workshop that collaborates with you?
We work on the wood entirely, from selecting the piece from the sawmill, to it being finished. In the case of brass, we take pieces from existing providers and in some cases modify it to fit our design. Now we are starting to work with small local studios on the development of ad-hoc pieces made specifically for our designs.

You have various models of lamps, are you going to continue to make lamps, or are you thinking of another type of furniture?
We love lighting and some of the pieces from our catalogue were born from our own needs. Our idea is to continue with lamps but to move on to larger sizes, with more complicated structures for bigger spaces, but maintaining our line. In furniture we have already worked on some pieces, It is a world that we are always passionate about.

Which of your designs have you liked the most until now?
One of the most special is the lamp Óscar, we still do not have it in the shop because it was a very special work and now we are reediting it. It is a volume form of parallel eclipses of different sizes through which the light emerges. Its curved form is inspired by Oscar Nyemeyer and we made it for a house in Rio de Janeiro. It is made from iroko wood for surviving the higher temperature and tropical humidity and working with it was very laborious. The result is simple and elegant and it gives off a very special light.

Is there one that had made the most sales until now?
The small table lights are very appreciated. The one that has sold the most is Frankie, I imagine because it is fun and different.

Is each piece unique? Or do you made a certain number of pieces from each series?
The runs are very small, some are even numbered, for example we only fabricated 13 pieces from the Frankie series, ……. and we consider that each piece is unique in the sense that the wood is different each time and our work is hand finished making each creation different to the previous one.

What is the creative process of your designs, from the design concept to the sale?
We can talk about two forms of working: desire + studio + sketches + tests in the workshop, giving the result of a concrete design. The other form arises by chance, an idea comes up and you must start to place or remove elements to make the design complete from an aesthetic and from a practical and technical point of view.

Do you sell through your web and through Miseria shop, with Olga, Belén and Pablo that we met in Madrid, or do you sell through another place?
We are also in the studio of Guille García Hoz (Madrid) with other ceiling lamps, in Mù Restauración (Zaragoza) with table lamps and in Artefactum (Sevilla) with wall and ceiling lamps. Our idea, now that our first catalogue is finished, is to work on the distribution inside and outside Spain.

Can you live from it?
It’s a very hard and slow work, but we hope so.

Did you have a clear model of the business that you wanted to start from the beginning?
We had a hard time deciding about it and I believe it could also be subject to change. After days passing by, we know a little more about our sector and where we want to go.

Do you dedicate much time to advertise yourself in any way?
It is essential to be present and to be known. Our efforts are centred on our physical attendance of furniture fairs and to give our message to the media that we consider could be interested. The work in this sense has just begun and there is still a lot to do.

How did you start to be known?
Through contacts with blogs and other media. As I commented earlier, physical presence in shops and furniture fairs has been important too.

Which have been the best and worst moments of your work until now?
Among the best is receiving orders. Each order or each new project is exciting.

Without doubt the worst is thinking that at any moment we will be unable to maintain this project due to lack of sales. It’s a nightmare each time that it comes to our minds.

What would be the perfect commission that you would like to do?
They are all perfect. The most exciting maybe is working without ties, and being capable of finding an aesthetic and practical solution that works in every way. The form it takes (be that a table, a lamp or a toy) is not important.

Is there something that you would not do again professionally?
To allow ourselves to work in something that we are not passionate about everyday.

Is there something you would repeat even though it was a crazy thing, just for the experience?
Starting Antoñito y Manolín.

What advice would you give?
Enthusiasm, tenacity, patience and hard work are capable of making any dream a reality.