Top table: ’Knife/Fork/Spoon’ is an ode to modernist flatware at ER Butler & Co.
![Soho's ER Butler & Co.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QxrUuNpPgHQsjKfn7e2Cua-415-80.jpg)
Cutlery might not necessarily be the collective showpiece of a well-designed restaurant, but at ER Butler & Co., a manufacturing company with a showroom and gallery space in New York's Soho, these humble tools are finally getting their day with ‘Knife/Fork/Spoon’, an exhibition dedicated to modernist flatware.
The objects on display come from the wide-ranging collection of Dung Ngo, publisher of August Editions. Having previously collected plywood furniture (which became the subject of his book, Bent Ply) and Olivetti machines (which he donated to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art), Ngo turned his attention to modernist cutlery about 15 years ago. ‘It’s a category that’s completely under the radar,’ he says. There was another advantage, too: ‘Cutlery is small and compact, so you can store a lot of it in a small space.’
The cohort at ER Butler & Co. includes pieces from Gio Ponti, Georg Jensen and Ward Bennett, but as Ngo points out, these designers were more of an exception. ‘None of the modern masters – Mies, Le Corbusier, or Aalto – designed cutlery,’ he observes. Altogether, there are 18 sets on view, culled from his robust collection. ‘This is a highly edited selection,’ he laughs.
Ngo, who curated the exhibition, was able to slip in something else he collects: books. As a way to mediate the scale between a large room with big vitrines and small pieces of cutlery, he staged the utensils on books open to black-and-white photography, creating a dialogue between the lines and forms of each.
Ngo, the publisher of August Editions, started collecting modernist cutlery about 15 years ago. ‘It’s a category that’s completely under the radar,’ he says
The 18 sets on view are just a sample of Ngo's extensive collection
‘Cutlery is small and compact, so you can store a lot of it in a small space,’ says Ngo, a fervent enthusiast for tableware
As a way to mediate the scale between a large room with big vitrines and small pieces of cutlery, Ngo has staged the utensils on books open to black-and-white photographs...
... creating a lovely visual dialogue between the two
The selection on display at ER Butler & Co. includes pieces from Gio Ponti, Georg Jensen and Ward Bennett...
... but, as Ngo points out, these designers were more of an exception. ‘None of the modern masters – Mies, Le Corbusier, or Aalto – designed cutlery,’ he observes
INFORMATION
’Knife/Fork/Spoon’ is on view until 16 March. For more details, visit ER Butler & Co’s website
ADDRESS
ER Butler & Co.
55 Prince Street
New York, NY 10012
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Feel at home at Auberge, Château La Coste's new inn for culture lovers
Auberge La Coste sits at the heart of the art-filled estate, minutes away from the joyful town of Aix-en-Provence
By Harriet Thorpe Published
-
This Nova Lima apartment is a Brazilian family oasis with striking Minas Gerais views
A Nova Lima apartment designed by Jacobsen Arquitetura celebrates its long, natural Minas Gerais vistas
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
Nendo’s collaborations with Kyoto artisans go on view in New York
‘Nendo sees Kyoto’ is on view at Friedman Benda (until 15 October 2022), showcasing the design studio's collaboration with six artisans specialised in ancient Japanese crafts
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Italian craftsmanship comes to Los Angeles in this eclectic Venice Canals apartment
Boffi Los Angeles celebrates a juxtaposition of texture throughout a waterside bolthole
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
Design Miami/Basel 2022 explores the Golden Age
Design Miami/Basel 2022, led by curatorial director Maria Cristina Didero, offers a positive spin after the unprecedented times of the pandemic, and looks at the history and spirit of design
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
Kvadrat’s flagship New York showrooms encompass colourful design codes
Industrial designer Jonathan Olivares and architect Vincent Van Duysen have worked with Danish textile brand Kvadrat on the vast new space, also featuring furniture by Moroso
By Hannah Silver Last updated
-
What to see at New York Design Week 2022
Discover Wallpaper’s highlights from New York Design Week 2022 (10 – 20 May 2022): the fairs, exhibitions and design openings to discover
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Colour defines LA ceramics studio and showroom of Bari Ziperstein
Step inside the multifunctional ceramics studio, office and showroom of designer and artist Bari Ziperstein, designed by local firm Foss Hildreth
By Pei-Ru Keh Last updated
-
Design for Ukraine: Bocci and Design Miami join forces to raise funds
The online sale of iconic Bocci pieces will benefit GlobalGiving’s Ukraine Crisis Relief Fund, providing urgently needed humanitarian aid
By Rosa Bertoli Last updated
-
The Future Perfect celebrates materiality in new Los Angeles exhibition
Coinciding with Frieze LA, a new exhibition titled ‘Momentary Pause’ (17 February – 18 March 2022) explores material-based practices that inspire change
By Hannah Silver Last updated