Plaster artist Stephen Antonson takes a softer approach to hardware for his new collaboration with Nest Studio.
By Rachel Gallaher
Prototypes of the knobs, pulls, and handles in the Pinch Collection—a collaboration between Nest Studio and artist Stephen Antonson—were sculpted from plaster, and used to make molds that are filled with molten brass. The resulting cast object is then hand-finished. Image by Laura Moss.
The Pinch collection—an upcoming line from New Jersey hardware company Nest Studio—brings a playful edge to the traditionally utilitarian forms of cabinet knobs and drawer-pulls.
Launching in early October, Pinch is a collaboration between Nest Studio’s Founder and Creative Director Jessica Davis and Brooklyn-based plaster artist Stephen Antonson.
Artist Stephen Antonson in his Brooklyn studio. Image by Kreg Holt.
Comprising six functional, cast-brass knobs, pulls, and handles in four finish options (matte white, blackened bronzed, polished nickel, and polished unlacquered brass), Pinch came about from Antonson’s desire to experiment with form. “There’s a lot of great hardware, but most of it is serious,” he says. “I decided to relax and make something that is playful but sophisticated. I started by cutting up shapes—thinking of Matisse and his scissors: He just cuts into the paper and finds the shape. I tried paper. I tried aluminum foil. I tried tin. I tried plaster gauze. I made a variety of organic shapes, molding the plaster to an intuitive form. After making dozens of iterations, I chose the few that felt the most ‘right.’” The Pinch collection is named for the final gesture Antonson makes with his hands when molding materials—the motion that gives each piece its organic, undulating form, transforming it into a miniature work of hand-sculpted art.
LEFT: The knobs and pulls are available in four finishes including polish, unlacquered brass. RIGHT: Prototypes of the collection. Images by Laura Moss.
“Plaster has far more applications than its conventional applications. Why not make hardware from it? It really relates to the human hand. I make everything I design in my studio with my hands, so the scale is comfortable.” —Stephen Antonson, artist
