Inner space: 'Big Will and Friends' explores the perceptual playfulness of wallpaper

Wallpaper might be strictly ornamental for some, but for Jonathan Louie of Architecture Office it can influence one’s perception of space. 'There was a whole issue of House Beautiful magazine dedicated to wallpaper,' recalls Louie of the edition, which was subtitled 'Wonderful Ways of Wallpaper'. 'Reading through it, the magazine suggested wallpaper wasn’t just about what you put on the walls, but on all the surfaces of the room to visually thicken [them].'
Struck by the notion of wallpaper as an optical modifier, Louie produced a new exhibition, 'Big Will and Friends', now on view at the Rodger Mack Gallery at Syracuse University.
Their collaboration resulted in a compact, 7 sq ft shotgun house featuring rooms created from a patterned scrim stretched over PVC; a smaller, mirrored model set within the house; and a collage of architectural drawings set one on top of the other, created by Stephen Zaima, a professor at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. Dancers wearing similarly patterned clothing also moved throughout the space, performing choreography by Stephanie White and adding another layer of perceptual change while remaining within the wallpaper's static framework.
Viewed in tandem with the performance, the installation demonstrates just how malleable space is. Standing at the centre of the main structure, visitors experience a kind of flattening perspective effect as they view the almost-opaque patterns through multiple layers of scrim. 'Big Will and Friends' is fluid, changing as the light interacts with the pattern differently throughout the day. 'Interior design usually connotes adornment,' says Louie, 'but what this suggests is that it can actually be a kind of architecture.'
Titled 'Big Will and Friends', the collaboration includes in a compact shotgun house featuring rooms created from a patterned scrim stretched over PVC...
... and a smaller, mirrored model set within the house, as well as a collage of architectural drawings
Dancers wearing similarly patterned clothing moved throughout the space
Viewed in tandem with the performance, the installation demonstrates just how malleable space is; visitors experience a kind of flattening perspective effect as they view the almost-opaque patterns through layers of scrim
INFORMATION
’Big Will and Friends’ is on view until 12 February. For more information, visit Syracuse University’s website
Photography: Ioana Georgeta Turcan
ADDRESS
Rodger Mack Gallery
Syracuse University
Crouse Drive
Syracuse
NY 13210
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Frances Elkins gets her dues at Christie's this June
You can soon take home a piece of the legendary American designer’s legacy…including a $3 million Alberto Giacometti sculpture.
By Anna Fixsen
-
The new Phone 2 Pro from CMF combines generous scale with true affordability
We explore the ins and outs of the CMF Phone 2 Pro, the newest device from the Nothing sub-brand that focuses on bold design and carefully honed value engineering
By Jonathan Bell
-
‘I’ve considered every single detail’: how Victoria Beckham designed the perfect make-up brush collection
Victoria Beckham speaks to Wallpaper* about the meticulous design process behind her debut collection of make-up brushes, which perfectly treads a line between form and function
By Hannah Tindle
-
Sotheby’s is auctioning a rare Frank Lloyd Wright lamp – and it could fetch $5 million
The architect's ‘Double-Pedestal’ lamp, which was designed for the Dana House in 1903, is hitting the auction block 13 May at Sotheby's.
By Anna Solomon
-
Step inside this Upper East Side jewel box apartment
This radiant Lexington Avenue home is a harbinger of good things for the Upper East Side, and the latest focus of The Inside Story, our series spotlighting intriguing and innovative interior design
By Anna Solomon
-
This Colorado ski chalet combines Rocky Mountains warmth with European design nous
Wood and stone meet artisanal and antique pieces in this high-spec, high-design mountain retreat
By Anna Solomon
-
Swiss utilitarianism meets West Africa in this Armando Cabral and USM furniture collaboration
A centuries-old West African motif signifying movement, adaptability, and progress served as the starting point for this collaboration between New York-based designer Armando Cabral and Swiss furniture brand USM
By Ali Morris
-
Hilltop hideaway: Colony creates tranquil interiors for a Catskills retreat
Perched between two mountain ranges, this Catskills retreat marries bold, angular architecture with interiors that offer warmth and texture
By Ali Morris
-
Rio Kobayashi’s new furniture bridges eras, shown alongside Fritz Rauh’s midcentury paintings at Blunk Space
Furniture designer Rio Kobayashi unveils a new series, informed by the paintings of midcentury artist Fritz Rauh, at California’s Blunk Space
By Ali Morris
-
Sculptor James Cherry’s always playful and sometimes strange lamps set New York's Tiwa Gallery aglow
‘It was simultaneously extremely isolating and so refreshing’: Los Angeles-based sculptor James Cherry on brainstorming ‘From Pollen’ at New York’s Tiwa Gallery
By Diana Budds
-
A celestial New York exhibition showcases Roman and Williams’ mastery of lighting
Lauded design studio Roman and Williams is exhibiting 100 variations of its lighting ‘family tree’ inside a historic Tribeca space
By Dan Howarth