The catchall is an object most people have in their homes. It can take the form of a chair, a basket or a side table. It is the chair where we pile our dirty clothes, the basket where we store our scarves or blankets or the side table we use as an extension of our wardrobe. It catches all things, acting as a storage piece without ever being a formal, conventional piece of furniture.
Basket 2.0 is a catchall that moderates the mess.
Moderation
The Pythagorean cup is a vessel which forces an individual to drink in moderation. Upon filling the cup with too much wine, the cup will spill its contents.
The Pythagorean wine glass enforces moderation. It imposes a clever limitation on one’s drinking habits. I was inspired by this concept to create a piece of furniture which could impose a similar limitation for an individual’s messy habits.
Inspiration
The aim was to create a beautiful container for the mess, as a sort of experimental interpretation of Mary Poppins’ bag.
I was intrigued by the comical idea of creating a catchall with a sudden trigger. Much like an alarm clock, or a trap
without warning. You may be able to slowly and calmly accumulate 17 pairs of dirty socks, but that 18th pair will unleash an explosive jolt of discipline! Realistically, I had to abandon this comedy
for more prudent solutions.
I sought to create a responsive structure. My fascination with intricate and overly complex mechanisms became central to the development of the catchall. I drew inspiration from the hypnotizing kinetic sculptures of Bob Potts, the outrageous mechanical contraptions of Rob Higgs and the very extravagant Fletcher Capstan table.
Sculpture
The result is a dynamic spherical sculpture.
The catchall acts as a regulator โ as it fills with objects, it closes on itself. The overlapping of six petals results in a three dimensional aperture-like closing of the catchall. This movement of the petals is driven by a spring-loaded platform inside the bowl. The platform therefore acts as a scale: the weight of the contents drives the petals to gradually lift.
