Being a multidisciplinary design studio, its only natural for Think Fabricate to take a holistic approach to design. From residential to university settings, the company has often provided not only the vision for a space but also the furnishings within it.
Now Think Fabricate can add another notch to its design tool belt with its first set of china! Originally produced as a limited edition to coordinate with the companys display at 2010 BKLYN DESIGNS, Brooklyn Plates is a set of transfer printed coup style dinner plates featuring aerial views of Brooklyn from the late 1800s. Think Fabricate will launch the new line during 7 W New York Tabletop Week, where they will be on display at Gallery on Six (Suite 604) from April 12-15, 2011.
According to Jason Gorsline, co-founder of Think Fabricate, Since our first collection of furniture included a wall-mounted display cabinet, it seemed fitting that we design a special group of plates to adorn the shelves and show our connection to Brooklyn, where we live and work.
Each of the three transferware plates features a portion of a lithographic print by Currier and Ives dating back to 1879, showing a balloon view of Brooklyn with its south and west waterfront in the foreground. The three details from the map used on the plates illustrate the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights, and the Navy Yard with Wallabout Bay in the foreground. The reverse side of the each coupe-style plate depicts the Think Fabricate logo a composition of two overlapping heads forming a light bulb.
The color of the plates is the same blue that is featured in the Think Fabricate logo. Susan Doban, co-founder of Think Fabricate, explains, Its a bit more intense and rich than a traditional Wedgewood blue, giving the historical imagery on the plates a more modern appearance. In our interior design and architectural projects, we often find that the right color can make an important impact and breathe new life into a historical space.
She added that, The set of plates, like much of our work, is the result of a collaborative effort, sparked by a strong personal interest. I have always been fascinated by the ornament used on plates, which are essentially a utilitarian item, but can take on the character of an art object.
Transfer printing can be traced to mid-eighteenth century England where consumers called for an affordable alternative to labor-intensive, costly, hand-painted china. The traditional transferware process involves engraving a decorative image into a copper plate, which is inked with ceramic ink and printed onto special tissue paper. The paper is then transferred to the ceramic piece, which is then glazed and fired to permanently set the design. During the height of its popularity in the late 19th century, the process of transferware printing was brought to America. To this day, it remains an accurate way to create multiple ceramic pieces but the process has evolved to include digital printing.
