Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 40
Occupation: Furniture designer/fabricator.
Instagram: @jessienelsonstudio
Hometown: Green River, WY.
Studio location: Gowanus, Brooklyn, and Lincoln Heights, Los Angeles.
Describe what you make: Collectibles. Unique pieces that challenge your perception of the limitations of materials.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: The side table with the drawer. This was the first piece of the Knuckle on Bone Collection to be realized and opened the pathway to the rest. It’s not fussy, not over-designed, and the cantilevered surface proved to be extremely strong and emboldened me to move forward with “bending concrete.” Once the radius of the curves and dimensions were dialed in, it intuitively felt right. It had notes of Art Deco, Retrofuturism, Brutalism, some Japanese wabi sabi. It felt primitive yet refined. The piece was both functional and sculptural, and gave me a lane for further exploration.
Describe the problem your work solves: Problems people didn’t know they had. Although the “Board” could be used as a room divider or standalone bar, it has specifications for the audiophile. Turntable sits on the concrete surface isolating it from any vibrations, the open shelving is sized for audio components, and cabinet shelving is adjustable to fit a vinyl collection. These features aren’t glaringly obvious, but it’s apparent for the right person. Some of my other work features hidden stash boxes, which solves the issue of keeping prying fingers (or the authorities) out of your business. Your secrets are safe with me.
Describe the project you are working on now: Just finished a collaboration with renowned tattoo artist Chris Garver. It occurred to me that the techniques involved in pyrography and tattooing are essentially the same. I proposed this to him and to my delight, he was game to give it a go. I couldn’t be happier with the results—our respective work really celebrates the material. The figuring in the spalted maple looks like refractions in a stream, and he used this to put the koi fish literally in the piece. With this theme being apparent, my duty was to utilize Japanese woodworking techniques, but in my voice. Half lap and mortise/tenon joints in concrete. It’s a very special, one-of-a-kind piece.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Some more collaborative projects are still too green to speak of, but a new body of work will be debuting in the fall. I still think in music terms, so to put it one way, a new EP is coming out this fall.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Noise-canceling headphones, backup headphones when those die, good coffee, offcuts to play with, fresh router bits, sharp chisels, and more clamps than you’d expect.
What you do when you’re not working: Mornings start with alone time on the Rhodes. I toured professionally for a decade, so making music with no agenda is calming now; it clears my head. Riding motorcycles also engages all the senses. There’s all this talk about meditation in the zeitgeist these days… you want to really be present? Ride a motorcycle.
Sources of creative envy: Tough one. I’ve worked with some of the most creative people in their respective fields, and somehow I’ve ended up in their good graces and watched them create work that’s brought people to their table or filled an audience. Most are self-taught, and there’s something to not knowing all the rules that allows you to break them. It’s about finding your voice, and with that comes your people.
The distraction you want to eliminate: I’m not the first to say this, but the phone is the plague of our time. It’s important to get in the pocket and stay there. I’ve learned a lot staring at the ceiling or a wall. Boredom leads to curiosity, and when you’re curious without distraction, it leads to exploration, mistakes, and hopefully something new.
Concrete or marble? Do I have to say?
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Dark.
