The Power of Patronage

Design Talk with Felix Burrichter, Max Lamb & Sandy Rower

Design Miami/ Basel held its first Design Talk today. The talk focused on the power of patronage and how private commissions can push the boundaries of design. Felix Burrichter, Editor/Creative Director of Pin-Up magazine facilitated a conversation between the designer Max Lamb and Alexander “Sandy” Rower, the President of the Calder Foundation and grandson of the famous American sculptor Alexander Calder.

Sandy has commissioned several works from Max Lamb over the last few years, but he doesn’t consider himself a collector. “I am not a collector. I call myself a user. I buy furniture so I can use it,” says Sandy.

Sandy was first turned on to Max Lamb when he saw his work displayed by Johnson Trading Gallery at a Design Miami/ show. He was riveted by Gallery Owner Paul Johnson’s explanation of the designer’s process.

“I was attracted to Max’s work because he was using industrial materials to make something elegant,” says Sandy. As Sandy put it: “Max’s elegant sensibility and re-use of materials was appealing” – and also reminded him a bit of his grandfather’s work.

After seeing Lamb’s copper stools displayed by Johnson Trading, Sandy commissioned the designer to make a bigger chair using the same casting process. The process involved soaking a clay wax mold of the piece in a copper sulfate solution. The project was successful.

Since then Sandy has commissioned more work and Max thinks his patronage is a good thing for the design process and the evolution of his work. “The design comes through conversation. He tells me what he likes and I give him sketches and options. Sandy gives me his opinions and we go from there. In this scenario, the customer comes to me and tells me what they want and I come up with a solution. It’s the opposite to industrial design,” says Max.

But, Sandy is quick to point out that in this collaboration he wants the creativity to stay firmly in Max’s hands. “I don’t want a Sandy Lamb table. I want a Max Lamb table, so I tell him what I like and we talk about what’s possible,” says Sandy.

Sandy and Max are continuing to push boundaries through private commissions. In fact, Max is due to create a desk for Sandy on June 24th using a process called “sand-casting.” This will be the largest sand-casted work by Max yet.

On a beach in Cornwall, England, Max Lamb sculpts the form of a piece of furniture in packed sand (during low tide of course). His tools are simple: steel pans, camper gas stoves (to melt down the pewter), knives, buckets and spades.

Before Sandy, Max had only experimented with smaller pieces utilizing this method due the intensity of the task, and the sheer weight and cost of the pewter. Once he is happy with the form he has made in the sand, Max then fills it with melted-down pewter. The piece sets and he excavates it from the sand, hoping the sea doesn’t wash it away first.

On June 24th, Max will go out with a team of fifteen assistants and 200 kilos of pewter. Max will sculpt a desk for Sandy. Working in unison choreography to ensure the right pour and shape, the pewter will be cast into the mold by Max and his staff of fifteen. Based on Max’s calculations of the tide and daylight, he has about a five day window to get it right. How’s that for pushing boundaries.

Visit: www.johnsontradinggallery.com.