Anton Alvarez’s String Theory
This April, Swedish-Chilean designer Anton Alvarez brings a little color to Salon 94’s whitewashed Freeman Alley space with a month-long residency. The pop-up studio offers New Yorkers the opportunity to see the artist in action and get a first look at his signature wrapping machine—a wormhole-like device created by the artist to join everyday materials like plywood and cardboard tubes into furniture with a combination of glue and string. See a preview here.
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Designer Anton Alvarez poses with a chair he designed at Salon 94 Freeman Alley
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“One of my goals was to create a joining mechanism, which would be both new to me but also other artists.”
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“Every piece is an evolution.”
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“The strings are usually polyester but they didn’t arrive in time so I’m using a combination of polyester and cotton. These are from the Garment District. That was the first way that New York came into this work.”
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“I wanted to create a tool for myself so I wouldn’t have to rely on other people’s ideas.”
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“This is the first time I’m using mesh. I like the way the paint comes through it.”
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“I like to strike a balance between the planned and the unplanned. Why wouldn’t I? It keeps it interesting.”
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“Usually I work with plywood and the supplies I buy, but sometimes I’ll bring in something I found on the street. I am wondering what this city will bring me. A man already came back… and brought me a hockey stick. I don’t usually use ready-made objects, but I will use it.”
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“I tried to keep a palette for these pieces, but I think it’s already evolved way pass what I initially planned.”
