Concrete Cat

March 22, 2009

Dichotomies in design engage the observer. Art is born out of conflict. Conflicting aspects within our designs work against each other, heightening the central qualities of each object. In our work at Concrete Cat we like to play with surface texture both visual and tactile to create these design dichotomies in our work. A highly polished surface combined with an edge surface that has some voiding, exposed rock, and even minor cracking or crazing. These polarities within the design of a piece define the most interesting qualities of concrete through contrast.

Below I will include a few examples of how this is represented in our work.

This first example is an experimental piece that was the beginning phase of the vessels we now offer at Concrete Cat. I especially like how the ground and polished top of the bowl with exposed rock plays against the solid colours of the inside and outside of the bowl. To heighten this contrast in the future, the sides and inside of the bowl will be polished more and the voids will be filled.

This next example is from a vanity top that was installed in a bathroom. This vanity has an integral sink and back splash which allowed for some freedom to try and generate a bit more interest within the piece. The back splash was ground down to expose aggregate and left unfilled. The voiding and exposed stones created an excellent foil within the piece that really accentuates the highly polished surface of the vanity.