Jerusalem-born, London-based industrial designer/architect Ron Arad currently has an exhibit of new work at the Timothy Taylor Gallery in London, including this United States bookcase. Entitled Oh, the Farmer & the Cowman Should Be Friends, is was produced in an edition of six.
The organizational possibilities presented by this bookcase are similar to those of the Europe plates [different party foods on the plates representing different countries] and The World [different man-made islands in the development being used for different functions]. But where are Alaska and Hawaii?!?
Oh, I like the bookcase. Hawaii and Alaska don’t matter.
Comment by Dan — April 15, 2009 @ 10:21 am
I guess you could roll up your comic books and stuff ‘em into the New England states.
Comment by Quimbob — April 15, 2009 @ 11:10 am
Precisely. Alaska could be a free-standing magazine rack [for all the magazines Sarah Palin claims to read?], and Hawaii… Oh, I don’t know, a knick-knack shelf?
Comment by visualingual — April 15, 2009 @ 11:31 am
Hawaii could be little free-floating coffee tables.
Comment by Dan — April 15, 2009 @ 1:07 pm
[...] Ron Arad’s bookcase-as-map, this one includes our non-adjacent siblings, Alaska and Hawaii. The former is decked out in a [...]
Pingback by The United States of Washington Park « Visualingual — April 16, 2009 @ 7:41 am
I’m not a huge fan of Arad’s more commercial work, but the bookcase is great. I love the dark outline of the states on the front plane combined with the more reflective-looking surfaces. It’s an interesting effect, especially in the installation photo.
Comment by Ben C. — April 17, 2009 @ 4:30 pm