The Art of Craft

This collection of finely crafted installations in the office lobbies of a film and television production studio connects audience to place through often-overlooked materials and the skilled tradespeople who work with them.

Agency

Asterisk

Practice Area

Client

Netflix

Industry

The Challenge

“What separates art from design?”

As a design firm specializing in branding, marketing, exhibits, and wayfinding, we’ve typically avoided referring to our work as “capital-A-Art.” While creativity is central to everything we do, our focus has always been on soling problems, meeting business objectives, and telling contextual stories. Our process is guided by questions like: “What needs to be communicated? Who is the audience? What do we want them to understand or feel? What action should they take? What value does this bring to the client?”

A recent engagement with Netflix gave us an opportunity to walk the line between art and design. Tasked with creating a series of installations for the lobbies of three sound stages at their new Albuquerque production studio, we approached the project with a problem-solving mindset. These spaces, used by the tradespeople and artists who bring film and television productions to life, needed to connect meaningfully with their audience and context.

Project Vision

After months of concept development, we arrived at a direction that celebrated the overlooked tools and materials of industry trades while honoring the cultural and natural iconography of New Mexico: a turquoise brooch crafted from hair and makeup tools; native piñon pine branches reimagined in costuming materials; and the intricate geometry of rattlesnake skin brought to life through the textures and tools of set construction. Each piece, approximately 80 square feet in size, was designed to make an impact from a distance while inviting closer inspection of its materials and details.

One in a series of pieces that honor the craft of the film and television trades, this references traditional New Mexican jewelry in combs, mirrors, brushes, clips, rollers, and sponges.

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Adjacent intepretive plaques explain the concept, quantify the materials, and ask viewers to respect their hand-made nature.

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Design + Execution

Though the concept appeared simple, its execution was anything but. We conducted extensive material research, refined color palettes, developed multiple rounds of mockups, and produced full-scale layouts with every element. We partnered with a fabricator whose expertise and dedication matched the heft of craft we expected. They even enlisted a specialist to braid and secure 162 feet of turquoise hair extensions in one of the installations, achieving the exact texture and form needed.

The finished pieces are tactile, thoughtful, and engaging. They honor the skilled tradespeople who shape the entertainment industry while rooting the work in the cultural and natural context of New Mexico. Discreet plaques accompany each piece, explaining the concept and offering insight into the modesty of the materials, creating an additional layer of connection for viewers.

While these works may not be “capital-A-Art,” they represent a significant step toward that realm for our firm. More importantly, they exemplify the power of design to connect people to place, celebrate craft, and tell a story in a way that is both meaningful and appreciable.

This piece references the branches of New Mexico’s piñon pine trees in the materiality of the costume designers and makers.

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Pine needles are made of shades of green and white zippers with seamstress tapes. The spines are stacked spools of thread in 6 earth tone colors.

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The distinctive geometric patterning of the western diamondback rattlesnake is rendered in the tactile materials of set design and construction.
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A demising scale of diamonds creates the illusion of volume with hardware, 6 grits and colors of sand paper, wood species, and duct tape. Trade professionals advised on legitimate materials.

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An interpretive plaque teaches viewers about the local rattlesnake species while honoring the craft and quantifying the materials that inspired the installation.

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  1. The fastidiously crafted arrangement of the typically overlooked tools and materials of hair and makeup professionals creates a precisely geometric installation.

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  2. One in a series of pieces that honor the craft of the film and television trades, this references traditional New Mexican jewelry in combs, mirrors, brushes, clips, rollers, and sponges.

    Asterisk

  3. Adjacent intepretive plaques explain the concept, quantify the materials, and ask viewers to respect their hand-made nature.

    Asterisk

  4. This piece references the branches of New Mexico’s piñon pine trees in the materiality of the costume designers and makers.

    Asterisk

  5. Pine needles are made of shades of green and white zippers with seamstress tapes. The spines are stacked spools of thread in 6 earth tone colors.

    Asterisk

Project Details
The wall pieces made for the production facility draws a clear and thoughtful connection between the tradespeople bringing film/TV to life with the local aesthetics of New Mexico, celebrating both cultures.
Juror 1
Beautifully crafted, clever, and executed, these vibrant and tactile wall panels add personality to this environment in a subtlety branded fashion.
Juror 2
Design Team

Susanne Harrington (principal in charge and project manager)
Pam Caperton (senior designer)
Callie Gabbert (designer)

Collaborators

Dekker Perich Sabatini (architect)
DCL (fabricator)

Photo Credits

Susanne Harrington, Asterisk

Open Date

June 2024

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