RETRO + UNRESTRICTED
Stepping into ICFF/ WantedDesign in New York City here in 2024 has a new feeling like each and every year, but slightly different each time. This year we’ve come to welcome AI (artificial intelligence) into our design process, feeling less scared about lack of human input. And as we sail into the future, we also meet moments of the past. DANIEL PLUS LAUREN finds that so true today with an early morning press preview with Tina Scepanovic. We got the warm feeling of sustainable glass from the 1970’s with marble recreated without relying on nature.
There is nature, and then there is man made. Nature is one aspect that can’t be changed, while man made has no limits to how it’s formed. Just like the Taylor Swift music industry compared to the original music industry, one has a limit. It’s the ladder.
Tina Scepanovic sought out to create marble made up of malachite, a copper carbonate hydroxide mineral that’s opaque, green-banded mineral crystallizing in monoclinic crystal system. Creative marble is shapable, open to size, and can blend with layered oils as opposed to limestone which is traditional marble that can only stay one form. The marble malachite seen here allows Tina to use oils to create a layered finish, creating patterns and shapes on painted marble no one would imagine or attempt on true marble. Malachite has a positive finish of leaving paint on, this green celebration uses a negative finish to take paint off but leave on layered veins so you can shape the look however you desire.
Look closely, you wouldn’t have thought of anything about this class if you didn’t know what it was. But for those who recognize it, this is glass directly out of a time machine, say somewhere in the 1970’s. Tina found this glass on eBay completely ageless, and it came originally out of a manufacturing plant in India well-maintained. Any reader of DANIEL PLUS LAUREN who came from an age where this kind of glass was used recognizes the color of amber. It made for great light fixtures when yours truly was growing up.
Tina gives it a completely modern touch by creating this glass tile sculpture with white lines in each tile that may very well be from the 1970’s. Lights are added to not only give it a modern feel, but also bring back the warmth of amber lighting that welcomes you with a shade of yellow. Tina thought amber lighting was a perfect color to balance out the white lighting here at the Javits Center. DANIEL PLUS LAUREN directly remembers ball-shaped light fixtures used as a chandelier for what we use to call THE BIG LIGHT.
Tina also specializes in sculptures made out of hot wax. The process of creating a hot wax sculpture such as a candle holder seen here is very quick, time-sensitive sculptured beauty before it melts. Tina also dabbles into malachite with a positive finish, layering paint on for a full-layered solid look. Tina Scepanovic takes her knack for creative stone beauty to turn it into something special while appreciating the sustainability of ageless glass from 5 decades ago that still looks tremendous.
Daniel Quintanilla
