Reykjavík Grapevine - 26.08.2016, Síða 44

GRAPEVINE
GRASSROOTS
III
Performances
Lestur
Princefinite
Án
asdfhg.
Cyber
IDK IDA
20:00
Húrra
28. aug
i8 Gallery
Tryggvagata 16
101 Reykjavík
info@i8.is
t: +354 551 3666
www.i8.is
KARIN SANDER
11 August - 24 September 2016
Art Young Artists
EMERGING
Björn Steinar
Blumenstein
Product Designer
Words & Photos HREFNA BJÖRG GYLFADÓTTIR
Since graduating from the Iceland
Academy of the Arts, where he stud-
ied product design, Björn Steinar
Blumenstein has been working in
Sjávarklasinn with a group of de-
signers who call themselves Græn-
metisráðuneytið (“the vegetable
ministry”). They work hand in hand
with vegetable farmers and local in-
dustries towards the utilization of
raw Icelandic materials. After fin-
ishing, Björn plans to travel abroad
and further his product design skills.

When did you start designing?
I once saw a guy shave a cactus in a
contemporary art museum in Berlin
and at that moment something in-
side of me clicked. I am quite practi-
cal by nature so I thought to myself,
“How can I have that much fun at
work but still make a living?” Soon
after that I started designing stuff,
absolute crap at first, and working
towards the goal of getting into
product design.

What is your creative process?
It usually starts with a raw material
or some kind of a problem, sometimes
both. The first steps are usually ran-
dom experiments, trying to get to
know the material or analysing the
problem. From then on the process
can be quite painful, and I’ll refuse
to stand up until I’ve made progress
or developed a solid concept. It’s a
fun struggle all the way to the end
when everything usually falls into
place and they live happily ever after.
What inspires you?
I’m probably most inspired when
driving to Keflavík airport. I can
never make it without stopping a
hundred times to write some ideas
down, I guess it has something to do
with clearing my mind. Aside from
the airport drive, pretty much every-
thing can inspire me, if I’m ready to
take it in. Good design, bad design,
unusual possibilities and strange
outcomes.

What is your favorite artwork, by
you and/or another artist?
I own a hilarious vase by Hrafnkell
Birgisson, which is absolutely ador-
able. It ś a ketchup bottle cut in two
halves, the top turning upside down
and the material casted to hold it all
in place. My favorite work of my own
is a made-in label for a can of Appel-
sín that I made in collaboration with
Johanna Seelemann. It’s a 140 cm
illustrated made-in label, tracing
the aluminium from its source in
Brazil and its extraordinary journey
between continents to Reykjavík.
How is it being a designer in Iceland?
I´m very new so I’ll find out soon
enough. Design culture is growing
rapidly and it looks promising.

What do you wish to achieve
through your work?
I want to take part in finding solu-
tions for a world that’s constantly
transforming. First and foremost I
wish to have a strong voice. I want
people to listen to me when I have
something to say.

Future plans?
Far into the future I can see myself
collaborating with other designers
but for the time being I want to fin-
ish projects I’ve started before going
abroad to do an internship.
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44The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 13 — 2016