Redesigning the Classic Chess Set: Exhibition in Los Angeles
Hello everyone,
Architects Give the Classic Chess Set a Radical Makeover
The design of the classic Staunton chess set is most often attributed not to an artist, but to an architect, Nathaniel Cook, who looked to Neoclassical London to find inspiration for his pieces. The Staunton set defined the game we know today. Recently, a group of young architects were challenged to redefine the game, invited by Los Angeles gallery and storefront Jai & Jai to create and exhibit their own chess sets. First spotted over at Architizer, some of these sets go beyond designing pieces to redesign the timeless battle between light and dark - and a couple deconstructed it completely.
“The World is Flat” by Laurel Consuelo Broughton, for example, transformed the 64-square board into a globe to create a dynamic, edgeless game to wouldn't look out of place on Star Trek.
For “In Turn,” Maxi Spina used modeling software to extrude the classic silhouette of the Staunton piece, transforming the game board into a field of unrecognizable forms that look like alien crustaceans or musical instruments, while Andrew Kovac's "Castle" scales up a single piece, reimagining the rook as something from a monstrous wonderland, a complete world unto itself.
The concepts range from the poetic to the playful, from industrial to abstract, but they all have distinctly architectural qualities, whether its the creation of new space, a focus on material and proportion, or the model-like craft of each set. While none of them are likely to replace the Staunton anytime soon, these sets show how modern design, with all its irony, formal innovation, and technological sophistication, can still be connected to the traditions of the past while proposing bold new visions for the future.
The exhibition CHESS runs until April 19 at Jai & Jai in Los Angeles.
For “In Turn,” Maxi Spina used modeling software to extrude the classic silhouette of the Staunton piece, transforming the game board into a field of unrecognizable forms that look like alien crustaceans or musical instruments, while Andrew Kovac's "Castle" scales up a single piece, reimagining the rook as something from a monstrous wonderland, a complete world unto itself.
The concepts range from the poetic to the playful, from industrial to abstract, but they all have distinctly architectural qualities, whether its the creation of new space, a focus on material and proportion, or the model-like craft of each set. While none of them are likely to replace the Staunton anytime soon, these sets show how modern design, with all its irony, formal innovation, and technological sophistication, can still be connected to the traditions of the past while proposing bold new visions for the future.
The exhibition CHESS runs until April 19 at Jai & Jai in Los Angeles.
From Alexandra Kosteniuk's
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel
www.chessblog.com
Also see her personal chess blog
at www.chessqueen.com
Don't miss Chess Queen™
YouTube Channel
Labels: chess exhibition, classic chess set
posted by Chess Blog Admin @ 3:02 PM
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