The \"NUTS + BOLTS\" exhibition, now in its second year at Available Items in Tivoli, New York, is a testament to the innovative spirit of design. This group show challenges over 24 designers to craft furniture and other objects exclusively from components found in local hardware stores. Embracing the ethos of DIY culture, the exhibition pushes the boundaries of traditional design by focusing on ingenuity and the creative transformation of everyday materials into distinctive, functional art pieces.
Chad Phillips, co-founder of Available Items, articulated that the core philosophy behind \"NUTS + BOLTS\" revolves around \"design thinking\" and an exploratory \"approach to making\" that utilizes the common language of hardware. He noted that many participants have likened the creative brief to the stimulating assignments encountered during their design school days, underscoring the intellectual challenge and artistic freedom inherent in the exhibition's concept.
The diverse roster of exhibitors includes celebrated design studios such as Fort Standard and Office of Tangible Space, alongside a new wave of emerging talents. Their creations span a wide spectrum, from seating solutions ingeniously fashioned from chain-link fence gates and PVC pipes to mirrors adorned with repurposed gutter components. One particularly striking piece even reinterprets a workwear pillowcase, demonstrating the vast potential for creativity within the given constraints. Each designer has harnessed their unique artistic perspective to elevate ordinary hardware into new forms of utilitarian collectibles.
A strict guideline for the exhibition limits the use of dimensional lumber and prohibits 3D printing or sourcing materials online. This constraint encourages designers to look beyond conventional methods and materials, spotlighting the versatility of often-overlooked parts. For instance, Brooklyn-based furniture maker Fort Standard, typically recognized for its intricate joinery and cabinetry, contributed the \"Catch & Release\" floor lamp. This innovative piece combines an unlikely assortment of a soil tamper, tube clamps, and a fishing net, all culminating in a distinctive lighting fixture.
Similarly, Office of Tangible Space, an architecture and design firm based in New York City, showcased their \"rigid stool/side table,\" meticulously constructed from deconstructed street brooms. These examples highlight how familiar objects can be recontextualized and given new life through thoughtful design. While many pieces proudly display their original components, the DIY essence in others is more subtly integrated. Christian Borger's \"Louver lamp,\" for instance, ingeniously arranges standard ceiling panels and hardware into a sleek, modular floor lamp. In the realm of textiles, Lauren Hirsh’s \"White Work (Painter’s Pants)\" transforms Dickies painter’s work pants into a sophisticated patchworked pillow cover, demonstrating a seamless blend of deconstruction and elegant reconstruction that could easily be envisioned within a specialized Dickies home collection.
The \"NUTS + BOLTS\" exhibition offers a compelling exploration of design principles through the lens of accessibility and resourcefulness. It runs until October 5 at Available Items, located at 64 Broadway in Tivoli, NY. The gallery is open to the public from Friday through Sunday, between 12 PM and 5 PM. This showcase provides a fresh perspective on how everyday items can be reimagined and transformed into functional and aesthetically pleasing objects, reminding us that creativity often thrives within thoughtful limitations.