Tempo Mobile Series by Mother Tool

‘Circle Waltz’ designed by MUTE, made of high-carbon steel rings.

You have to admit, it’s fantastic when you see a nice mix of creatives get together from different backgrounds to offer their personal insight on a certain design challenge. Such a project can always lead to unique and exciting ideas, or show very contrasting opinions. This project that I’m highlighting by Japanese company Mother Tool involves a neat selection of architects and designers who have individually offered their own take on kinetic sculpture. The brief was to balance time and space, but really such a creative challenge is open ended as effectively these could be anything they wanted them to be.

When I look at mobiles it makes me think about the appeal in such repetitiveness, what makes these comfortable and interesting to look at? There’s lots of ways these mobiles can hang and revolve, the known and unknown forces of this world are acting upon such a delicate object. Is this a gentle reminder of nature itself? All the designers have thought about making these unique, such as interchangeable parts so the mobile can be manipulated and rearranged like a puzzle, others have more of a concept behind the item, like the ‘Perspective’ mobile that’s supposed to act as a series of cascaded window frames that creates an illusion in perspective.

I have a few favourites here, but two I’d like to point out include the ‘Throughout’ mobile by Taiji Fujimori and the ‘Constellation’ mobile by DRILL Design. Taiji Fujimori’s design is a series of circular shapes drawn by fine single lines in both brass and copper. The collection of curved lines reminds us of physical processes which gradually change over time like a cloud in the sky or a plant growing. I had a go myself at producing some mobiles last year, maybe it’s about time I get back to it and experiment with some new ideas. Enjoy!

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‘Constellation’ by DRILL Design, three V-shapes attached to a single line of thread.

‘Perspective’ designed by Mother Tool

‘Energy Flow’ by DRILL Design, a mobile using elastic stainless steel wires.

‘Throughout’ designed by Taiji Fujimoro, produced in brass and copper.

‘Perspective’ designed by Mother Tool, made from Japanese Cypress.

‘Brain’ by DRILL Design, like a puzzle these can be rearranged to make new patterns.

‘Throughout’ designed by Taiji Fujimoro, a series of circular shapes drawn from fine single lines.

‘Perspective’, a series of cascaded window frames creating an illusion in perspective.

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