• Review of Design Miami/Basel 2008
• Review of Milan Design Week 2008 – Notes from the Design Zone

We are perfectionists …

An Interview with Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel of Studio Job.

By Le Vin Chin

I narrowly missed meeting that dynamic duo, Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel of Studio Job, when they came over to Design Miami/Basel – where they were showing on the Moss stand – this June. But, being a fan of their work, I was determined to track them down and secure an interview. After a flurried e-mail exchange, here’s what I finally managed to tease out of the superstar design duo …

Where does the design inspiration for your projects come from?

Everything is a potential source of inspiration.

What's your design philosophy?

To have a maximum of creative freedom.

Job and Nynke among their Silverware, oversized pieces covered in mirrored Bisazza tiles, as photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino © Studio Job (click on the picture for a larger version)

How important is “play”?

‘Play’ used to be quite important but these days we try to focus as much as possible on the object.

“Moss” promotes you with these interesting phrases: “artisanal”, guild work” & “craft” - is this also how you see yourselves, your work and your approach?

We are perfectionists and our objects need to be executed to the extremes but we don’t feel like artisans ... although partially probably we are.

One aspect could be the “patronage” of Moss and the Groninger Museum for your work – how instrumental would you say these collaborations have been in your success? How did they come about?

Together we are a team ... they are crucial to us as we are to them. It should be a win/ win situation, right?

Pieces from the Farm collection © Studio Job (click on the picture for a larger version)

Somewhere, I have read, about your Robber Baron series, that it’s “reflecting the outrageous excesses of America’s 19th century tycoons and Russia’s new oligarchs” – how much social or political commentary goes into your work?

It’s just inspiration ... we think ‘Robber Baron’ is an icon of all times and cultures.

What’s your design aesthetic?

As less as possible but you need aesthetics to visualize your statement.

Do you respond to the following descriptive phrases of your work in a positive, or negative (or neutral) way? “monumental” “ornate” “story” “shiny” “ironic” “surreal”

All positive

Job and Nynke among pieces from the Oxidized collection, as photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino © Studio Job (click on the picture for a larger version)

Why did you choose Antwerp?

Antwerp is comfortable city with a large cultural input ... small enough to run an efficient studio, big enough to have a acceptable private life.

Do you see a difference between local and global trends in design?  What are the local trends?  What are the global trends?

We are not into trends. We just follow our noses....

Which color most inspires you?

Always colors that are natural to the material or that can be added to material without that the object loses its monumental value. We never add color because its pretty … that would be ‘too design’ for us.

Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel of Studio Job, as photographed by Robert Kok © Studio Job

How do you choose your materials?

We love ‘sculptural materials’ above ‘industrial materials’....

Where do you find the idea for the surfaces you use?

We chose the ‘effect’ thats suits the idea. The skin of the material is always its natural skin....but you know that one material can have different ‘natural’ skins....

What are you working on right now? What's your dream future project?

We’re preparing shows in Geneva*, Miami, London and Dubai. Next to that we are working on bigger installation projects ... really great! Also we are doing a book on our work which is called: The Book of Job.

* An exhibition on the work of Studio Job will start in November at: mitterrand + cramer / fine art, 52, rue des Bains, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.

Check out pieces from Studio Job’s Homework, Robber Baron and Perished series here and their Globe piece for the Swarovski Crystal Palace here.