CR Blog
Object Abuse at KK Outlet
Posted by Gavin Lucas, 1 September 2011, 16:32 Permalink Comments (18)

Max Lamb's book ends were created by cutting a standard brick in two
For its latest exhibition, Object Abuse, London's KK Outlet challenged a group of leading artists, designers and stylists (including Chrissie Macdonald, Hudson Powell, Jiggery Pokery, Michael Marriot, Noma Bar, and Wilfrid Wood) to transform an everyday object, repurposing it to create an entirely new item, using as little additional materials as possible...
"The aim of the project," says KK Outlet, " is to create a collection of re-imagined objects which highlight not only how everyday items can be recycled into something new, but also how we think differently when we work with our hands and how physical interactions creates new ideas over and above working through concepts on screen."
Here are some of our favourite concepts from the exhibition, which opens tomorrow and runs until September 25:



Lamb also found attaching a handle to a brick turned it into a handy door stop


Product designer Alex Hulme created a mudguard for his bike out of a discarded fruit box:


Femke Agema created a facemask out of an old plastic milk bottle


Set designer and prop-maker Kelly Angood could well apply to be in the A-Team: she created a half frame 35mm pinhole camera out of this cardboard box


Inventory Studio didn't really come up with a new concept: they created a car arial out of a coathanger. Rarely, though, has a coathanger car aerial been created with such illustrative aplomb. I love the how-to instruction guide created with illustrator Natalie Ashman:

Sanderson Bob's handwritten instructions to create a salt shaker out of a ping pong ball is also rather charming:

... as is artist Wilfrid Wood's illustrated imagining of a chandelier made out of bicycle handlebars:

The chandelier, now built, looks like this:


Dominic Wilcox turned paintbrushes into coathooks (yes, they are functional)

Furniture design studio Deadgood cut up For Sale signs and rebuilt them as bird boxes
Object Abuse runs from September 2- 25 at KK Outlet, 42 Hoxton Square, London N1 6PB as part of London Design Festival and the ICON Design Guide. For a full list of contributors and for more info, visit kkoutlet.com.
All proceeds of exhibition sales will be donated to the St Monica's of Hackney Primary School Art Department.
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18 Comments
Bird boxes - genius
2011-09-01 16:41:45
the handle bar chandelier is great!
2011-09-01 18:32:21
Bird boxes win
2011-09-02 09:24:34
Brick book end, nice.
Bird boxes, clever.
Milk bottle face mask, was it included for a joke?
2011-09-02 09:43:35
Bird boxes, paintbrushes are dope
2011-09-02 10:32:17
Book ends are brilliant.
2011-09-02 11:03:02
Love the chandelier. The mud flap for the bike has been used by every food delivery guy in NYC.
2011-09-02 12:56:37
WHere can I buy the book ends? LOVE THEM!
2011-09-02 14:24:53
Just saw KK speak at WWC NZ. Everything they touch is gold! London bricks are so Multi-functional!
2011-09-03 02:12:07
@Steph Just get a brick, a hammer and a chisel...
2011-09-03 11:52:17
I'd love to see the coat hooks, chandelier and bird boxes on a home show and retail site.
2011-09-05 02:33:24
Brilliant! strange concept but so simple really... don't really get the face mask?
2011-09-05 09:56:29
Where's the lobster telephone?
2011-09-05 12:43:20
Hey - nice bird boxes but:
http://www.petermarigold.com/shop_sign_bird_houses.htm
2011-09-05 15:28:28
The brick door stop is simply genius and got me fumbling around in my toolbox for a masonry drill bit.
But am I infringing Max Lamb's IP? If so, sorry Max - I'll stop drilling if you tell me how I can buy an original!
Cheers, Adrian
2011-09-07 21:55:37
Like Like that is two likes for me in one day, I must be happy about something. Great stuff.
I know Peter Marigold from my CSM days. If that doesn't make me as hip then I don't know what will.
2011-09-13 16:36:25
Doorstop and Bookends look great an alternate version of the two with a typically British feel can be found here, see below
2011-12-21 16:37:18
Like Like that is two likes for me in one day, I must be happy about something. Great stuff.
I know Peter Marigold from my CSM days. If that doesn't make me as hip then I don't know what will.
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