FK chats to Phil about his wonderfully hand crafted label Phil Cuttance, debuting at the upcoming Sydney Markets!
Tell us a bit about your label and what we can expect to discover?
I am a designer originally from New Zealand. I have experience in making furniture and objects in many different materials and utilising many processes, and have exhibited my work at the Milan Salone on three past occasions.
I construct all of my prototypes from scratch, and value the hands-on creation process as a source of ideas and knowledge. My latest work is driven by the idea of making things myself, in relatively small batches, and trying to add value to the objects I make by making each object unique. I am interested in methods of making which endow products with visual clues about how they were made, and celebrating those visual markers, even sometimes when they would traditionally be seen as imperfections.
What is your background and how did you started working with resin?
I have been designing and making objects for the last 10 years or so, working with many different materials and processes.
The water based resin was the best material to suit the flexible plastic moulds I designed in which to cast the Faceture pieces. I experimented with many other casting materials before i discovered the right one.
What inspires your work? and what keeps you motivated creatively?
I am inspired by many great designers and by London, which has a great art and design scene. I’m also inspired by old-school methods of making, and by traditional craft and craftspeople.
What is your workspace like? and what is your creative process?
I share a studio with some other designers.
I like to experiment with materials and processes. A starting point for experimentation is the discovery of a new material, or seeing a complicated existing manufacturing process and thinking how it could be simplified or applied in a different way. I work very hands-on and start experimenting almost immediately.
What challenges have you faced starting your own label, and what are some things you love about it?
It’s taken me many years to get to the point where I can work for myself! There’s been many failures along the way but I’ve gained a lot of experience from design by others.
I am super lucky to have something I’m passionate about, and even luckier to be able to do it as a job.
What aspirations do you have for your label in the future?
I want to be able to keep designing and making new work, especially trying to come up with new methods of making things.
