Eric Roinestad American Design Hot List 2017

Eric Roinestad

Los Angeles, erstudiola.com
A onetime art director and graphic designer, Eric Roinestad channels inspirations like Mexican folk art, ancient Etruscan vessels, and the LA sun into a line of the most contemporary ceramic vessels, masks, and lighting. Soon, furniture — we hope?

What is American design to you, and what excites you about it? 

As a result of technology, the international design community is interconnected in ways I haven’t experienced before, and this truly excites me. Because of the ease in accessing international design — and the attendant growth in media coverage of art and design — I don’t see any one design style that is uniquely American anymore. That said, there is a sense of freedom and innovation that will always define American design for me. Since we aren’t as bound by history or traditions, we can be freer to innovate and experiment; through this practice of experimenting and absorbing the culture in the US, we are able to continually expand our design vocabulary. Also, America is such a large country, and what I am doing in Los Angeles is quite distinct from what other artists and designers are doing in other places, yet the common thread is that we all embody that sense of freedom to push boundaries. What excites me most about American design right now is the way the lines between design, art, and craft are all blurring. Design can be conceptual, one of a kind, and hand-crafted.

What are your plans and highlights for the upcoming year?

I will be showing a large group of new pieces at Design Miami with The Future Perfect, including hanging lights, floor lights, vessels, and masks. I am also planning to do a show at The Future Perfect’s gallery in New York in 2018, which will include work using some new materials, such as bronze and wood.

What inspires or informs your work in general? 

I have a wide range of inspirations from ancient Etruscan vessels to Southern California architecture. Most of my work references familiar classical forms that I manipulate and simplify to create something new. Being a former art director/graphic designer, I am very drawn to graphic shapes; I tend to concentrate on forms and proportions, rather than surface and color. Living in Los Angeles also informs my work a great deal, the way the light and shadows play off of the shapes, as well as the worn, bleached-out surfaces.

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