PILLOW Culture’s KNOT bench – a soft object for the public body

The Boston waterfront context for Design Museum Boston’s Street Seats Design Challenge led us to begin this exploration with the rich history of maritime knotting. Rather than recreate any literal knot in Pop Art scale, Knot bench uses over three miles of nautical line in different ways to create a springy, resilient surface that is as resistant as it is surprisingly pleasant to touch. The rock-like form of Knot bench is similarly derived from a number of referents –- from the Victorian round settee to the bioluminescent coral-encrusted  underwater artifact —that furthers Pillow Culture’s investigation of an upholstered landform.

Along with sixteen other benches, located around Boston’s Fort Point  Channel, KNOT bench is on public view and can be experienced until October 2013. The Design Museum Boston hosts a bi-monthly guided tour every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month. http://designmuseumboston.org/exhibits/streetseats/

KNOT bench Team: Natalie Fizer, Emily Stevenson, Joseph Chun Jr., Sutton Murray

special thanks to:                                               

Lauren Kogod – Baggywrinkler extraordinaire

Nancy Kim and Lindy Thorsen – our loopers

photographer:  Eric Payson

sponsors:                                                           

C.E. Beckman Co.,  marine wholesale & service station

Crest Foam Ltd,  outdoor reticulated foam

Fablok Mills Inc.,  knitting, dyeing & finishing

R & W Rope,  marine cordage

pillow friends:  Rodridgo Diaz, Glenn Forley, Michael Morris, Suzan Strum