BY CHRIS BRAUER
Advance staff
Alison and Bart Bjorkman of Puffin Design will be joining fellow Creston artist Win Dinn and Kimberley artist Darcy Wanuk for a month-long show called “Material Change” at Centre 64 in Kimberley from June 6 to July 1. The Bjorkmans are displaying at least 25 pieces for the exhibit that will emphasize the metamorphosis of a material from its original purpose to a new function.
“Centre 64 is such an amazing space and is extraordinarily well run,” said Bart. “But it’s a large space, so artists often work together on shows. Win was our gallery manager for a while and knew Darcy was looking for someone to collaborate with for a show that featured up-cycled and repurposed materials.”
“She was impressed by what Bart and I were doing and the four of us started getting together about a year ago to plan this show,” added Alison. “There’s a four-year waiting list for the space, and artists need to be juried, so we were obviously thrilled to be included.”
The exhibit also addresses the issue of minimal waste. “Fabric art is especially important for me because of the enormous amount of waste fabric every year. A recent study in Ontario concluded that 85% of discarded textiles end up in a landfill site; only 15% are recycled or reused,” said Alison. “I was able to use the fabric from one of Bart’s old arctic canvas tents for a chair I finished just before the opening of the show. It was inspired by a picture of an aviator (or Bugatti) chair.”
Those that have wandered through the Puffin Design showroom in Creston have already witnessed the amazing pieces that Bjorkmans have created, taking unique antiques and repurposing them into eclectic, rare (and sometimes outrageous) products that either support a design theme or become a defining feature. Some highlights include one-of-a-kind coffee tables, chairs, lamps and concrete sinks. While Bart deals mostly with the lighting and concrete work and Alison deals mostly with the furniture and jewelry, the Bjorkmans agree they usually collaborate on most things in some way or another.
Visitors often crouch to get a closer look at the coffee tables. One features an intricate system of gears from the inside of a 1930s washing machine. Another features a railway luggage cart. The old lettering, weathered wood and working wheels make it a great conversation piece. It also features Bart’s custom distressed concrete top in complimentary tones and texture. Alison’s re-padded and reupholstered chairs combine comfort with a nod to the past. Pointing to one vintage swivel chair from the 1940s she said, “I call that one my fat-bottomed girl. It’s really comfortable, has a great look to it, and a lot of visitors to the showroom feel compelled to try it out.”
Bart seems to find inspiration for his lamps from all sorts of places: flour sifters, snare drums, exploded pipes, lobster traps, chemistry stands, handmade funnels and commercial coffeemaker cans. “It’s a bit of a curse,” joked Bart. “I now see lamps and lights wherever I go.”
Neither knows where they will suddenly find inspiration or what memory will spark a new idea. Bart was inspired by the fountains and aqueduct system he witnessed while in Dubrovnik, Croatia and one of his concrete sinks that sits on an industrial stand hints at the ancient stonework where locals washed and collected water. Some of the other pieces in the exhibit include Alison’s glass jewelry that feature vintage tie material, and a huge wall clock measuring 100 cm in diameter. Some pieces need very little, if any, work but are instead repurposed. Saddle stirrups become towel racks; a metal drawer becomes a magazine rack; ice tongs become a paper towel holder; and a sugar mould becomes a candelabrum.
“We have a few professional pickers that find items for us, but we also go on trips across Canada and the United States,” said Alison. “We never know what we’re going to find, and usually the pieces are not cleaned and sitting pretty on a shelf. They’re in places we’d rather not go, and caked in gunk of some kind. But we have a lot of fun.”
“Material Change” runs June 6 to July 1 at Centre 64 (64 Deer Park Avenue) in Kimberley, BC. More information can be found at www.KimberleyArts.com. The Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 1:00-5:00 p.m. Admission is by donation.