(Bar)barian
New creative studio No. 1 Son teams up with Esque glassblowers for a collection of decadent objects
Born of a meditation on authenticity, the recent collaboration between design studio No. 1 Son and the innovative glassmakers at Portland-based Esque Studio flirts with scale and fantasy for a collection of modern heirlooms “so exotic and unique, that it truly would be an object passed on to generations to come.” Esque artist Andi Kovel continues, the “concept is staged in the future, but just barely into the future.”
The beautifully provocative collection is the upshot of both a collective desire to create meaningful objects, and No. 1 Son founder Travis Harvey’s carefully considered look at Miles Orvell’s book “The Real Thing: Imitation and Authenticity in American Culture.” While the project involved months of discourse between Esque partners Justin Parker and Kovel and Harvey (who draws on design chops as head designer of Nike’s Pro Combat collection), the anachronistically savage items speak for themselves, standing out for their surprising mix of materials and overall symbolism.
See images of the full collection, including a sling shot, bar travel set, and much more, in the gallery below. For more on Esque Studio, check out our 2007 video of the artists at work making their remarkable glass designs.
