Judging of “Designing For the Future” at Collyer’s Sixth Form, Horsham

Back in November I was asked to be on the judging pannel for the Future Perfect Company’s Designing For The Future competition at Collyer’s Sixth Form College in Horsham, West Sussex.

The winning design by Alex Francis was an ergonomic handle designed to hold a number of shopping bags with a unique reminder ring removing the possibility of leaving your shopping behind. All students showed a high quality of research and development within their chosen areas of work producing a wide range of ideas and interesting concepts.

Photos form the prize giving can be found on the Future Perfect Company’s blog.

Congratulations to the winners

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Fulgurite

Untitled from Craig Barrow on Vimeo.

Living Memorial Stone Exhibited at Generation Expo Brighton

Last weekend my Living Memorial Stone was exhibited as part of The Future Perfect Company’s stand at Generation Expo at the Brighton Centre, Brighton. More information on the Expo can be found here.

Rotary Casting

Formed at the Menier Gallery

My Phenol-formaldehyde latex Chair was shown at the Menier Gallery, London, as part of Formed. Formed was a showcase of a selection of hand made, domestic objects by young and talented creative’s from the University of Brighton. Exhibited works by:

Caroline Allen, Josh Bitelli, Gina Ellis, Jessie Fleck, Vanessa Freeman, Robert Grimshaw, Grace Hancock, Sarah Hibbert, Steph Iles, Lucy MacDonald, Bryony Penman and Bridget Wheeler and myself.

Formed ran from 24th – 28th May, 2011

Living Memorial Stone wins ‘Designing for the Future’ competition

My Living Memorial Stone has won the 2011 ‘Designing for the Future’ competition run by The Future Perfect Company.

The press release can be found on The Future Perfect Company’s blog and the Response Source Website (links below).

The Future Perfect Company
Response Source

Living Memorial Stone

The Living Memorial Stone, an alternative and contemporary way of mourning and remembrance of the death of a loved one. Made from a bird feed, plant seed and beef fat composite, with a tree seed encapsulated in a compost tube core. In a planting ritual, representative of a final salutation to the dead, the piece is part buried in the ground, providing feed for natural wildlife and the plantation of a tree. As the outer layer is consumed by animals and the tree begins to sprout, indigestible plant seeds in the piece are distributed in the surrounding environment through animal droppings. The contents of the seed mix and the type of tree seed is variable depending on personal preference, seasons and or location.

The stone provides a foundation for new life, creating something that can be enjoyed by all and is beneficial to the environment. It can be a stand-alone memorial or a compliment to a natural or tradition burial or the site of scattered ashes. The Living Memorial Stone is a celebration and remembrance of the life of a person, not a reminder of their death.

Phenol-formaldehyde latex Chair

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Phenol-formaldehyde latex Chair (2010/11). aerated phenol-formaldehyde resin (Oasis floral foam), latex, steel, plywood.

A composite of aerated phenol-formaldehyde resin, better known as Oasis floral foam, and latex, the chair serves as a memory bank of interaction and use. With each impression, the internal foam structure crumbles, where the outer latex skin returns to the original form. This element plays on human memory. Events create impressions, or, a memory in the mind, yet over time different impressions become crossed and shifted. Different memories become confused into one, just as different parts of crumbled foam merge together. Eventually we cannot differentiate one event from another and our memories become lost in a memory bank of time, just as the crumbled foam becomes lost in a skin of latex.

Blocks of the floral foam were held together using a chicken wire web and using a sandblaster, carved to the shape of two wooden profiles. The blocks are held together by latex with a final coating applied to the entire surface. With the steel legs attached afterwards.