Elements of Style: David Weeks, Design at Play
I was recently introduced to David Weeks during the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. David had run into production issues with his wooden animals for Areaware and the problem had finally been resolved. The lanky Brooklyn-based designer was visibly relieved.
In the design world David Weeks is known for his elegant, high-end designs at Ralph Pucci International: delicate chandeliers reminiscent of Alexander Calder’s kinetic mobiles and the asymmetric Sculpt sofa inspired by topographical maps and the stone sculptures of Barbara Hepworth.
For Areaware, a New York-based design collective, David Weeks has designed Hanno the Gorilla and Ursa the Bear. Made from sustainably-harvested beech wood, the animals are held together with elastic bands allowing the limbs and head to be manipulated and take on expression. Both come in smaller versions, Hanno Jr. and Ursa Minor, and are accompanied by descriptive biographies and instructions for “Care and Feeding: Love Ursa! She was created to be your friend and protector.”
For Kikkerland, David Weeks has designed Castlight: a rubberized candleholder & LED flashlight all in one. The flashlight is hidden in the base of the candleholder. With a twist of the base of the candleholder, you have light. in the event of a power outage, you know exactly where to find the flashlight. No worrying which drawer it was stashed or who had the flashlight last. David’s design fits like a glove into Kikkerland’s creed that the most utilitarian object should be a discovery.
David Weeks clearly enjoys stepping outside the formality of his stunning work for Ralph Pucci. Working with less refined materials like chunky wood and black rubber, we are the beneficiaries of his sense of fun and play in the everyday.
Scott Hamm
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