Robert Stadler Cut_Paste

‘Cut_Paste’ is a series that reflects on the art of building and explores construction and contemporary architectural practices. It is based on the utopian idea of reusing the materials left over in architecture. Robert Stadler provides us with his own interpretation of the architectural gesture confronted with the past and the present, a demonstration that he develops on the scale of the object.

The series represents a construction of floor plans that are cut at right angles, freeing up constructed spaces that go beyond their strict utilitarian function, a reflection on the act of covering edifices. The designer himself says that the pieces can be defined in contemporary terms as a piece of domestic furniture, subsequently giving them a futuristic element.

LUXURY VERSUS UTILITY

The materials chosen are architectural, using a combination of marble and aluminium honeycomb. The strong contrast between these two materials conveys the natural beauty within the pieces against the harsher industrial elements, in tandem with the idea of luxury versus utility.

The minimal beauty of the pieces originates from the clean-cut vertical and horizontal lines, yet it is contradicted by the graphic motifs of the marble and onyx. Having focused primarily on low tables and shelves with the original series, Robert Stadler has integrated a selection of large console tables and lamps into the new collection.

Robert Stadler creates these pieces by cutting, sticking, juxtaposing and shifting the elements to give the shapes the necessary stiffness, reminiscent of discarded shapes found on building sites. The designer integrates the illusion of a random gesture into a piece that links back to a constructivist vision.

Despite its characteristic arbitrariness, Robert Stadler’s pieces are each perfectly formed in order to question what the reality of functional sculpture should be whilst not reducing the design credibility.