Sat 18th July: Bethan Wood RCA Masters

Here is a face that is not new to the blog but what is new is her news.............Bethan Wood has just finished her Masters in Design Products at the RCA.  Until this point she has been known for her ingenious laser cut birch "Link" jewellery line.  Having dabbled with laminate surfaces for the latest collection, she has incorporated and explored this medium for her MA project  "Super Fake".  This time the vinyl has been designed and cut into marquetry inspired by fake  surfaces that make up the city's countertops, floors and walls.  Bethan wanted to challenge the typical perception of everyday  mass-produced materials and actually celebrate the chameleon character of laminates.   Why shouldn't a man-made version of the real thing not be just as beautiful with experimentation and clever placement? .........this is exactly what Bethan decided to tackle........... never one to make things easy for herself!   Her brief was to create a design that would provide visual escapism from our urban surroundings by embracing and subverting what is already there.  Not content with producing this vision in furniture, she has also applied the pattern to fabric and the first image here is of her beautiful digital print "Soft Rock".  I would absolutely love to see this used in clothing so watch this space!  

(Here is also a snap of her workspace at college to get an inside peak at her creative process)  

To find out more and see images of the rest of her products head to the crackingly entitled Wood London:

http://www.woodlondon.co.uk/