Black Gold: Asphalt gets a makeover

For his line of asphalt-based products, Kropholler worked in a laboratory to create the different forms, ranging from a bookstand to a series of trays and bowls. The designer wanted to challenge our assumptions about asphalt whilst also questioning the industry of which it is a part.

'This overlooked material is a remainder of the oil industry,' says Kropholler. 'What we tend to ignore in our modern capitalist society is that with the decline and eventual ending of our oil supply, we need not only to find alternative ways to travel, but also alternative infrastructure to travel on.'

The Black Gold collection acts as 'monuments of an industrial era', examining aesthetics of the industrial age that are often forgotten. For more examples of taking inspiration from industrial materials, read our Art-dustrial Revolution microtrend.