Drawing, Preparatory Drawing for Botanica VI Vase

In 2011 Studio Formafantasma was commissioned by Plart, a foundation dedicated to the conservation of plastics, to create designs that embodied the designers own personal interpretation of polymeric materials. Studio Formafantasma was captivated by the shifting perception of plastic. Once looked to as the material of the future, the trend in scientific research has moved towards sustainable materials. For the design duo, plastic has become inextricably linked with the "Oil Age," emerging in the early 19th century. The designers sought to reimagine the aesthetic potential of plastic, utilizing the material to create exquisite details. For their series of vases Botanica, the studio drew inspiration from the era pre-dating the "Oil Age," when plants began to be categorized by their secretions. The studio's material investigations led them to create a group of amber- and honey-colored resin vessels that recall the vegetal and animal origins of their materials. The series proposes a new aesthetic interpretation of plasticity.
These three graphite drawings show the studios process for constructing Botanica VI, the vase proposed for acquisition in Cooper Hewitt's collection. Botanica VI is composed of dewaxed shellac (a type of polymer extracted from insect excrement), wood fibers, and bois durci (a material that dates from the 19th century and is comprised of wood dust and animal blood). While the designers used material prototypes to experiment with the mixing of textures, the studio used drawing to help determine the final proportions of the composition and orientation.

Drawing, Preparatory Drawing for Botanica VI Vase; Designed by Formafantasma, Andrea Trimarchi (Italian, b. 1983), Simone Farresin (Italian, b. 1980); graphite on paper; 29.7 × 21.1 cm (11 11/16 × 8 5/16 in.); Gift of Studio Formafantasma; 6842.3.2014