Material benefits: Sculpture designer finds beauty in the cracks

Material benefits: Sculpture designer finds beauty in the cracks

Kansas City – Synthesis by Tom Price is a careful study of materials in which the designer combined tar and resin to create sculptures that mimic nature while simultaneously looking other-worldly.

Article/16996 #1
Synthesis by Tom Price,

Kansas City – Synthesis by Tom Price is a careful study of materials in which the designer combined tar and resin to create sculptures that mimic nature while simultaneously looking other-worldly.

Created for Price’s solo exhibition at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri, Price’s starting point for the pieces was to explore how resin could be manipulated. Price noticed that resin created petal-like fractures when mixed incorrectly, and when tar was added the thick viscous material would fill the cracks in unexpected ways, creating a pattern that looks like vivid, colourful cracking ice or a sea bed filled with vibrant, protruding coral.

‘The works evolved from experimenting with materials, rather than directly drawing inspiration from the natural world,’ Price tells LS:N Global. ‘But the fact that the pieces do look mineral-like is of particular interest to me as it brings into question our perception of value when considering materials and the man-made versus nature and geology.’

At Design Miami/ 2014, LS:N Global spotted several designers who drew inspiration from nature and climate change, and explored it through abstract ways. Although Price focused on materials, the resulting pieces remind us of the many Climate Contemplation examples we saw at the show. For more, see our Design Miami/ 2014 design direction.

Discover More News
Corona constructs world’s first sun reserve in Brazil

News

Corona constructs world’s first sun reserve in Brazil

To mark its centenary, beach-born beer brand Corona has unveiled the world’s first sun reserve at Piedade Beach in Pernambuco, Brazil.
Sustainability : Drink : Advertising
Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

News

Foresight Friday: Dan Hastings, deputy foresight editor

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, deputy foresight editor D...
Pop Culture : Society : Politics
Stat: Coachella’s payment plan reflects cultural repricing

News

Stat: Coachella’s payment plan reflects cultural repricing

This year, around 60% of general admission ticket buyers at Coachella used the festival’s payment plan, which requires just £37.78 ($49.99, €43.94)...
Pop Culture & Media : Finance : US Market
LS:N Global Just Got Smarter

News

LS:N Global Just Got Smarter

Meet our new AI tool, Ember.
The Future Laboratory
Mami Wata makes sun protection accessible with a touch of humour

News

Mami Wata makes sun protection accessible with a touch of humour

Suncare brand Mami Wata is using humour and nostalgia to highlight the often-overlooked importance of scalp protection.
Beauty : Advertising : Health
The Wizard of Oz at The Sphere uses generative AI to re-imagine a classic

News

The Wizard of Oz at The Sphere uses generative AI to re-imagine a classic

Launching in August 2025, The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere will transform the 1939 classic into an immersive spectacle using cutting-edge generative AI.
Technology : Architecture : Pop Culture
Stat: US teen beauty spending soars as Gen Z embrace fragrances and skincare

News

Stat: US teen beauty spending soars as Gen Z embrace fragrances and skincare

Teen beauty spending is on the rise, with Piper Sandler’s Taking Stock With Teens 2025 report revealing double-digit year-on-year growth, particula...
Beauty : Retail : Youth
Pepsi uses AI to let diners customise dishes in São Paulo

News

Pepsi uses AI to let diners customise dishes in São Paulo

Pepsi is inviting diners to co-create bold new dishes with its AI-powered campaign Your Bites, Your Rights.
Drink : Food : Technology
Birth of womb transplant baby marks a milestone in fertility innovation

News

Birth of womb transplant baby marks a milestone in fertility innovation

The first British baby born to a mother with a transplanted womb has been safely delivered.
Technology : Health : Society
Stat: AI boom set to double data centre energy use by 2030

News

Stat: AI boom set to double data centre energy use by 2030

Data centres are on track to consume 945 terawatt-hours of electricity by 2030, more than double their 2024 usage and equivalent to Japan’s current...
Technology : Sustainability : AI
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN