Top table: ’Knife/Fork/Spoon’ is an ode to modernist flatware at ER Butler & Co.
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.
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
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
Niceworkshop explores the cycle of industrial materials at Milan Design Week
Seoul-based Niceworkshop caught the design world’s attention with its inaugural collection dedicated to the humble bolt. Now, with its first solo showing at Capsule Plaza, the studio aims to disrupt the life cycle of industrial materials with an exploration into aluminium formwork
By Laura May Todd Published
-
The visual feast of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 is revealed
The Sony World Photography Awards 2024 winners have been revealed – we celebrate the Architecture & Design category’s visual artists
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Don’t Move, Improve 2024: London’s bold, bright and boutique home renovations
Don’t Move, Improve 2024 reveals its shortlist, with 16 home designs competing for the top spot, to be announced in May
By Ellie Stathaki 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