Concrete Creations

2 Dec
2010

Israeli artist rethinks the menorah with a nontraditional material.

By SUDINmag | December 2, 2010 |

We interviewed Marit Meisler of ceMMent Design in Jaffa, Israel, to hear her thoughts on contemporary menorahs, her designs, and how everything fits together.

The menorah has been redesigned a million and one times. What challenges arise when you rethink a ritual object to suit contemporary needs?
MM: The purpose of this design is to rethink and redefine formal preconceptions of such a traditional object as the Menorah, which has been taken for granted. I then questioned formal preconceptions about it and challenge common assumptions about how a “Menorahs”, which are rooted in our collective psyches, are “supposed to look”, what materials they are made from, and how we use them. I tried to create a synthesis of everyday life with religious artifacts. The modern design allows people to identify with a religious artifact and incorporate contemporary aesthetics into their homes.

What interested you in working with concrete? How has that interest endured over time?

I decided to work with concrete as it is such an unusual material for Judaica, very contemporary and highly textural. Normally perceived as mundane, this ancient material is used by me to create everyday objects as well as holy artifacts. Used primarily in architecture on a large scale, concrete is introduced here into the home as a small, intimate object. Although concrete is often thought of as a cold and industrial substance the concrete I use is warm and tactile.

“Concrete brings an architectural quality to Judaica.”

Working with it for so long now has made me more and more attached to it. Concrete has a soul, and although it is a very difficult material to work with, its textural quality and cultural context keep me fascinated by it.

Concrete, brings an architectural quality to Judaica. The simple shapes draw attention to the materiality of the pieces and the mirror finish metal creates a contrast to the matte textural quality of the concrete. A unique mixture of cements and aggregates was developed in the studio. This concrete mixture has characteristics that differ from the common concrete mixtures found in architectural and interior design applications.It is best suited for small household objects and achieves specific qualities of strength, color and texture.

Each piece is hand-made and individually processed in the studio, providing the products with their unique qualities.

What are the key design elements of your menorah? How did you come up with this construction?
This menorah is made of nine separate individual movable pieces that can be arranged in countless configurations and allow versatility, interaction and imagination to take part in the ceremonial use. The diagonal angles give the pieces a formal rhythm and a playful  uneven wavy feel. Not a static object, but one that allows for the participation of the user, the menorah design brings creativity to a holiday ritual. Even though it is visually deceptive, the candles are all the same height except for the “Shamash”. This is the only “rule” for a “kosher”  Menorah design.

Do you find inspiration for your design work from Judaism besides the object beingfor a ritual purpose?

The dialog is mostly with the formal preconceptions of traditional object and the interest in having the holy an the mundane meet in a contemporary designed Jewish artifact.

What advice would you give artists who would like to pursue industrial design but are unsure of what possibilities that entails and what direction they would like to take it in?

The best way I feel is to enroll into a design program or a design class within a design department, where one can get to know and feel the broad spectrum of the profession: conceptual, technical, theoretical and practical. I myself did two years of “foundation design” years before my final degree in order to find out what design form suites me best.

Fun Facts!

Cement is a binder, a substance which sets and hardens, and can bind other materials together. The first concrete structures were built in 5600 BC. The name “cement” goes back to the Romans who used it 299 BC to 476 AD. Modern cement began to be developed during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century. Portland cement is the most common type of cement in general usage. The most common use for Portland cement is in the production of concrete.

Concrete is used more than any other man-made material on the planet. It is a construction material that consists of Portland cement, aggregate and water. Cement use reached 1.3 billion tons per year – this translates into approximately one ton of concrete per human per year.

Aggregate is composed of fine and/or coarse materials (sand, gravel, crushed stone mainly) that are utilized to make up the bulk of the concrete mixture and strengthen it structurally.

Concrete Menorah (C3C5)
This Menorah was purchased by the Jewish Museum in New- York for their permanent collection and was exhibited in the Museum in 2009. The Menorah holds standard Hanukah candles (of 3/8” diameter). This contemporary menorah is made of nine separate individual movable pieces that can be arranged in countless configurations and allow versatility, interaction and imagination to take part in the ceremonial use. Not a static object, but one that allows for the participation of the user, this concrete menorah design brings creativity to a holiday ritual. The mirror finish stainless steel stands as contrast to the warm textural quality of the concrete.

Materials: Concrete, stainless steel, protective rubber bottoms.
Dimensions in milimeters: W 318 x L 35 x H 54
Dimensions in Inches: W 12½” x L 1” x H 2”
ceMMent Design is a design studio in the Old City of Jaffa, Israel featuring contemporary household objects and Judaica. Designed by Marit Meisler, the objects are made of concrete, bringing an architectural quality to household objects. The simple shapes draw attention to the materiality of the pieces and the mirror finish metal creates a contrast to the matte textural quality of the concrete.

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