Listen to the beat. Feel the beat. Beat. Beat. Beat. Beat.

In music, the beat is the driving force, but it can quickly become boring. Design is no different of an art form. Shifting beats and layering rhythms is the only way to revitalize and be creative in a world inundated with monotonous sounds and repetitive designs. Only a rare few, in recent years, have been able to achieve something truly unique. Redstr/collective, the self-proclaimed Djs of Design, fall into this category of eclectic and forward thinking artists that test the boundaries of conceptual and theoretical issues underlying the design world.

This Brooklyn based duo, also husband and wife Alex Valich and Christine Warren, met while studying in New York City at Parsons School of Design. Collaborating for years, the couple decided to form redstr/collective in 2003 to implement their innovative outlook on American design today. “We sample, abstract, and re-contextualize everyday materials, objects, and philosophies into objects and spaces for a new century lifestyle,” says Alex, while listing “iconic abstraction, design empowerment, edutainment, sustainability, and recontextualization through sampling” as the major themes featured in their work.

This approach is most fitting for a generation overwhelmed by advertising and design which often lacks an objective much more than “Buy this!” Alex and Christine offer something different. By sampling the style of abstract expressionism and mixing in some critical theory, the couple begins to spin out truly thought-provoking and entertaining products and designs.

Perhaps their most famous product is the Design Sickness Bag, related to the not so distant cousin the airsickness bag. Except instead of motion sickness, this one is for bad taste, a different but still highly undesirable ailment. The Design Sickness Bag features a complex pattern on the front and a rather tongue-in-cheek cartoon instruction on the back, while underneath it states “use this to make your own commentary on design.” Previously, a product or design would act on the consumer, but redstr/collective incites a reactionary movement, empowering consumers to make their own judgment about good or bad design. But this conceptual focus of their work does not take away from the functionality of their pieces.

The OSB Crate System, which initially broke the duo onto the design map, is deceptively simple. This geometric crate system, made of re-manufactured wood called Oriented Strand Board, is a new solution for space management. The individual crates can be rearranged to form stools, benches, desks or even wall units, a true union of functionality and form. But, the inventiveness does not end there.

The Stop It Sofa, a fusion of Art Deco and Minimalist furniture, is the couple’s “abstraction of upholstered furniture,” so abstracted that there is no fabric at all, but circular rubber stoppers that, with variations in color and pattern, replace the need for a decorative fabric.

These designs however are not only visually pleasing, but morally reassuring as well; Alex and Christine work with the environment in mind. The P.E.T. Abuse “chalices,” made from recycled plastic bottles, are particularly playful. And redstr/collective’s Cha tables and chairs are made of Plyboo, what they refer to as “a sexy and eco-friendly product manufactured from hand harvested bamboo”. The couple’s humor and inventive style make the entirety of redstar/collective’s work intellectually charming.

At first glance certain pieces, like the OSB crate system, may seem rather simple, too simple, in fact, not at all what we expect of design today. And I think that’s the point. Most consumers are looking for the ornate and highly stylized designs that, for example, can be found on the front of the design sickness bags. And again, I think that’s the point. Their products are not what we expect. Together Alex and Christine have formulated a playful approach to reinventing the mundane designs of our parents’ generation. They offer a philosophy that is more than just a hipster fad of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, but a good lens to hold up to the world: “sample, question, change.” In a culture that always wants “more, more, more!” redstr/collective proves worthy of our attention by staying true to the credo that less really is more.

“American Dollhouse 1,” their first solo exhibition, was held in spring of 2005 during Design Week ICFF. An amalgamation of Art Deco and American Empire furniture, the couple reduces the archetypes from these periods into their core elements, a concept which is to be expanded upon in an upcoming exhibit, “American Dollhouse 2,” in 2007.

Making furniture, accessories, ornaments, wallpaper, and most recently cups & saucers, Alex and Christine seem to be expanding the applications of their philosophy. Their products, being so well received, can be seen in Elle Magazine, Time Out New York, New York Magazine, Lemonade Magazine and countless others, not to mention their collaboration with companies including Vitra, Raydoor, and Bumble & Bumble. Their products can be found in stores in New York, Houston, Denver, LA, and of course online.

For more information check out www.redstr.com

Written by d/visible contributor Monica Racic

This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 7th, 2007 at 11:36 am and is filed under Industrial. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.