Peter Opsvik
- industrial designer and artist
The designer Peter Opsvik is familiar to the general public primarily for the adjustable children’s chair «Tripp Trapp» (1972). He is concerned about the body's requirement for movement and variation, which has resulted in, among others, chairs from Variable Furniture i.e. «Variable» kneeling chair (1979), «Gravity» (1983), and «Capisco» (1984) from HÅG – all of which emphasize good ergonomic solutions. These items of furniture inspire you to move while you are seated.
On the other hand, he creates furniture, which move your mind, and this is the category in which we place the Cylindra Object.
In contrast to Peter Opsvik's industrial design, where ergonomics gets highest priority, he gives his imagination free rein with his sculptural furniture.
The Cylindra objects can tell a story, they can move you mentally and offer experiences, which may affect your behavior. When you go into a room, which is furnished traditionally, you will, most probably, automatically behave more in accordance with customs than if you enter a room furnished with Cylindra objects. Your are welcome to explore.
Interview with Peter Opsvik - industrial designer and artist
Why Cylindra Objects?
Peter Opsvik: When I used to work with graphic art and paintings, in two dimensions, on paper or canvas, I often used to wish that I had a basic wooden form which could be shaped freely and which could also be functional.
The solid wood cylinder fulfilled my wishes.
If we roll up a sheet of paper or a canvas, we get a cylinder. The surface has no end horizontally, only vertically.
The surface of the cylinder gave complete freedom for shaping and the internal volume of the cylinder could be used for functional purposes.
Working with these objects is not industrial design.
When the main purpose of what you do is to express something, while the functionality and the product adaptation are inferior aims, I feel more like an artist or sculptor than a designer.
What do such objects express?
Peter Opsvik: I want the observer to experience that freely for him or herself, I do not want to say whether, for example, the chair ''Hands" is stretching up its hands for help or out of joy. If I were able to say what objects express in words, I would do better as a writer.
Why must such items of furniture express anything at all?
Peter Opsvik: Most of the things we surround ourselves with are probably sober functional objects and for most requirements the most important thing is that the products are functional. However, there are places where things can have a stronger expression and where this is more important than that they function well.
One example might be in the hall where you sit down every day to tie your shoelaces. Here you do not need an ergonomic chair but it would be very comfortable to be embraced by the "Embrace" Cylindra chair when you come home worn out after a long day at work.
My ergonomic seating solutions were created because I hope that they can be of use for a large number of people, but the Cylindra objects came about because I like to work with wood in this way without thinking about whether it may be usefull for someone or not.