Kim Markel’s work left us intrigued at the Architectural Digest Design Show, making us long for a deeper look into how each piece is made. Working in a foundry in the Hudson Valley fabricating works for artists like Jeff Koons, Matthew Barney, and Frank Stella, Markel set out to make her own work. Her background in environmental public policy led her desire to produce work in a responsible way instead of adding to all the new material in the world.
Over the course of a year, she found a combination of materials that worked—a mixture of old eyeglasses, lunch trays, and soda bottles. Once bonded with resin, the mixture is set into huge molds that she makes, then sanded and polished to get the translucent finish. The result is a whimsical collection of ‘Glow’ objects, which includes colorful chairs, tables, wall mirrors, hand mirrors, and vases, each with an organic, handmade feel that almost look good enough to eat.
