TO DO 2012: Associates

Karol Kosnik reports on Associates.

Joy Charboneau is an ambitious woman. Last year, when the work began to topple over at the opening for ‘Tools’ – due to overcrowding on the opening night – it was her name that was called out in panic. Tonight, ‘The Associates’ marks the third year that a group of designers – under her guidance – comes together to show their latest design ideas. The roster of names has grown since the original inception. Derek McLeod [who is Joy's husband] is there with his furniture design ‘classic trio’ – a lounge chair, a coffee table and a tray, all executed in white maple with leather accents. The chaise-lounge carries familiar lines and angles seen in his previous work – ‘Why change a good thing,’ says Derek. Rob Southscott, another ‘Associate’, consistently delivers on good, practical design with his Cork Board Clocks – trendy hipsters will like this one. Joy Charbonneau’s ‘Felt mountaintops’ ‘weigh a ton’ but were carefully and consistently assembled by hand. Joy explains, that in some way, it is the architect in her attempting to quantify beauty – each individual carefully cut layer, represents 15 meters of mountain height; as a sum, they represent the beauty that the Canadian landscape is. And if sex sells than the ‘Associates’ has that too. Noam Lamdan – who also did the graphic design for the show – explores the gender gap with his ‘Turn on tables’. An artistic interpretation of scientific study – a provocative snapshot of sexuality in society – tread lightly.

This year marks the first time that Dylan McKinnon joins the group. His western, prairie roots and laid back attitude are clearly reflected in his work – it’s thoughtful and mellow. ‘Definitely not Bauhaus, more like Scandinavian Modernism,’ he says, ‘life on the prairies is about relationships, it’s the people that are your daily landscape.’

‘The Associates’ is a good show. It is definitely Toronto design. The work, for most part, is highly marketable – an important element in today’s art aversive economy. It is a well organized and well manged show. And hey! on the opening night, the booze was free! Kudos to Joy Charbonneau and the Associates.