We caught up with designer-maker Melanie Guy as she prepares to exhibit on the Hidden Art stand at 100% Design
What work will you be taking to 100% Design?
I am exhibiting innovative, sculptural wall panels. I use pewter, a traditional material, and my finishing methods give a contemporary feel, so the panels are very suitable for installation in progressive corporate or domestic environments. I refine the forms by hand and eye and use basic workshop machinery to make a simple statement with no superfluous information.
What was your inspiration for these pieces?
I once sailed to the Caribbean, a period that had a profound effect on my perceptions. Each of my pieces is an interpretation stimulated by the experiences of living on the water, closely in touch with the elements.
We are a product of the environment we inhabit and living now in the countryside of Cornwall makes me very aware of the beauty of natural forms, especially the effect of light reflected off water. I transfer this kinetic to my metal by forming it in a progressive pattern to make surfaces that reflect, so that there is a visual animation.
What are you hoping to get out of 100% Design?
I haven't exhibited at such a specialist exhibition before and I want to attract the attention of architects and interior designers, to make contacts and gain introductions that will lead to challenging design possibilities and commissions for architectural situations, perhaps abroad.
What are the main benefits of exhibiting on the Hidden Art stand for you?
Well, this is a focused exhibition, targeted at precisely the audience that I want to engage – corporate or private clients looking out for innovative original work.
What else are you particularly looking forward to in London Design Week?
The David Adjaye pavilion will be interesting to see, D&AD at the Royal College and definitely the Sustainability Hub. Design Nation’s Eureka exhibition will be a good one and Show-n-Tell day will be enlightening.
I'm interested in the perceived boundaries between design, art and craft, which are a matter of proportion - any successful thing made or designed by man has each of these in varying proportions. It is essential that we retain contact with making; the ‘industrial machine’ takes hands-on responsibilities away and with it a sense of personal achievement. I am interested in the human touch, so generally I will update my contact with the ‘cutting-edge’, as seen at London Design Week, but, to keep that essential contact with the ‘man-sized process’, I will visit art galleries including the V&A - must see the Swarm chandelier!