Michael Travalia discusses the influence of Scandinavia and the future of furniture design with Russell Thomas, from Creative BOOM.
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Michael Travalia is proof that Scandinavian-style design in furniture doesn’t have to originate in Scandinavia. He was born in Tasmania, Australia in 1974 – he said he was “a hippy kid really, growing up in a colonial house in the country, with creative parents involved in pottery and architecture.” With regards to where his creative side originated he added, “My aunty is an amazing jeweller and sculptor too so I guess it’s in my blood.”
Tasmania has a long history of craftsmanship; Michael said that he learnt about the “process of making” when his father built a new house for the family, before constructing a timber yacht in the garden – “that craftsmanship is something that is valued and celebrated today.” The inherent principles of design in Scandinavian furniture also seem to be ‘in the blood’ – something primal and intrinsic that goes back centuries.
Michael explained his opinion of that design: “I think cultural heritage and respect play a huge role in the richness of design. Viking boats are a great example, fast and functional craft, born out of a necessity.” Not forgetting the highly stylised nature of much Scandinavian furniture, he added, “They are truly beautiful objects in their own right and perhaps go some way to unlocking the intrinsic link between environment, material, function and aesthetic.”
Scandinavian Design emerged out of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, as a design movement in the 1950s, defined by minimalism, functionality, stylisation and low-cost mass production. This latter idea of the movement, that beauty and function should be affordable to all, led to its popularity and recognition. The most identifiable result as a brand is IKEA, with their roots deeply tucked into the very definitions of Scandinavian Design.
Michael agreed: “IKEA have taken the aesthetic of such evolved, everyday products and effectively manufactured them to a very low price point, hence turning them mass market. Their skill in doing so reflects the Scandinavian ability to ‘make things better’.” He told me that there is Scandinavian influence in his work, “Project Holo is really a vehicle for that influence.”
Michael met partner in crime, Christopher Thomas, at The University of Tasmania’s Centre for the Arts, from which he graduated in 1996. “Originally I was planning a career in architecture, and in some ways perhaps still am, but focused on a furniture design major.” He says that he and Christopher share a passion for nature, art and object, and have spent “many an hour theorising on the ways of the world”.
It wasn’t until Christopher moved to Norway, where perhaps he was inspired by the sparse minimal environment from which Scandinavian Design arose, that he and Michael began to talk again about things that mattered. “Project Holo began through a shared artists’ residency at The Nordic Arts Centre, on the west coast of Norway in 2007. We felt that some type of forum was required to share ideas and create work, without immediate constraint.” The word ‘holo’ is an invented one; it takes cues from the words whole (entire) as well as hole (the space between).
However, he stresses that Scandinavian influences are not as major as they might seem. “The work is spontaneous and reactionary, especially within the context of our surroundings. This has been the underlying vision of Project Holo and will continue in that vein, as a collection of objects that respond to the place, energy, people and time of inception.” With this positive energetic approach to inspiration they hired an apartment in Berlin, the new environment providing a fresh source of nourishment for their creativity; “The Berlin Box and the Strato Tables are testimony”
Strato Table (Michael Travalia, 2009); Berlin Boxes (Christopher Thomas, 2009)
Neither inherently nor exclusively abiding by Scandinavian Design, Michael reinforced that idea: “This project is not strictly about forcing a function of preconceived idea on an object. It’s more experimental.” Two parts of a visual aesthetic, he believes that boundaries between art and design are melting. However, design must be ever-conscious of what has been before and what will be in the future. Sensibly, Michael cites “new awareness of the world around us and our environmental conscience” as factors which should drive innovation. “As a designer you have a responsibility – to acknowledge requirement and to present something more appealing. Furniture, like all products, has a role to be both purposeful and joyful.”
One such design which covers both those fields is the “Bodice light” which serves a purpose as a light, but also as a piece of art. “It offers a tall, humanistic stance at 2.2m. The warmth of its material compliments a multi-faceted, curved form, adding delightful grace to any environment.” Despite being so artistic in its finished form, Michael said that it was “born out of a making process” – proof that beauty can result from functionality.
He is positive about the future of furniture design. “The only thing I can say is that we know more today than we did yesterday and hence, we are eternally better equipped to create smarter things. By smarter I mean ‘better considered’ on all levels.” Project Holo is part of this smart progression towards perfection in its field of creativity.
In the near future we can anticipate another lighting series, a new jewellery retail concept, a range of tableware and a collaboration with another Australian designer, Ross Gardam.
We can expect more of the same love for innovative furniture design, encompassing, as Michael Travalia believes, “People, place, purpose, process, and pleasure.”