Super guy and very talented illustrator Bradford Haubrich will be opening his first solo showing next week (March 19, 2010), at Philadelphia’s TrickGo (1135 Pine St). Expect dense, quirky drawings with a solid sense of humor and a light hearted take on life. Brad has also produced a limited edition t-shirt for the event – especially nice for those with a hankering for a new walking canvas. And, for the those with extra-limited taste buds, he’ll also be raffling off a 1 of 1 pair of Keds.

View shirt and shoe after the jump.

For Spring, BoConcept brings color and customization with a new line of sofas and table. The Milos Line allows for creation of an ideal seating arrangement via appropriate reconstruction of 13 different seating units. Once that process is complete, there are over 80 fabrics to choose from for the final touches. In addition to the sofa, the BoConcept Spring collection includes an expendable dining table – again customizable and with hints of vibrant color.

More images of the Milos Line and that table follow.

Coming in April from Rizzoli, Roy McMakin: When a Chair is Not a Chair details the multi-faceted career of Roy McMakin. At once an architect and a furniture designer, this monograph proves McMakin above all an artist. The photographs alone reveal an unparalleled talent in turning the mundane into items of absolute glory. Chests of drawers, these being my personal favorites, are close to perfected in McMakin’s hands.

Smartly composed essays balance the photographic spreads. These range from personal reflections (in the case of Lisa Eisner’s “Love Letter to Roy McMakin”) to analytic work that contextualizes McMakin’s place in design and his work in architecture. Eisner, a photographer and founder of Greybull Press, is joined as an essayist by Seatle Art Museum Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Michael Darling and Conceptual Artist John Baldessari, and writer Michael Ned Holte. The quartet’s variety of scope and thought succeeds in articulating McMakin’s own breadth quite well, and each essay is as engrossing as the designs that surround them.

Highly recommended reading.

(0300tv).

Chris Bourke owns a skate shop (Spine) in Worcester, England. He trained as a tattooist and the themes and style of that ageless art play into his current artistic passion.

Since 2005, Bourke has worked primarily in Lino Print. This work has a dark edge, but a good sense of humor. Notes of faith, love, and sticking it to the man prevail.  For this Bourke has been recognized in several international galleries and published in Art by Tattooists: Beyond Flash (2009).

Further examples of the Lino Prints follow.

Born from the passions of Mr. William Jenkins, Locust Farms Windsors in Montross, VA, produces a magnificent array of hand crafted Windsor chairs. Jenkins, a former Air Force pilot, is a designated “Virginia Professional Artisan.” What impresses most is Jenkins’ passion for the breadth and variety of the Windsor form. While many craftsmen stop at a single style, Jenkins goes all out. He offers settees, he offers Nantucket style fan backs. He even, much to my delight, offers left handed writing desks.

Simple, timeless seating furniture.

A lovely collection of Locust Farm Windsors after the jump.

Founded by Norman Pirrolo, Refined Edge Design essentially acts as a one man show. Pirrolo worked in IT before deciding to fully dedicate himself to the arts. His sculptural, 0ne-off pieces combine a contemporary approach to furniture with traditional methods of joinery. More recent production, like the Bow Tie table above, incorporates mixed media in the furniture – in this case metal and wood. Pirrolo’s tables are his masterpieces, bold works that are incredibly successful in their interplay with light.

Learn more at Refined Edge Design.

Several examples of Pirrolo’s furniture after the jump.

Chicago’s Rotofugi Gallery has on view Red Star, Black Eye: New Works by Josh Agle (Shag) through March 14, 2010. Shag is a designer, illustrator and painter. His influence range from tattoos to tiki bars, with many other things not beginning with “T” mixed in. The pieces on display are primarily large scale, and while they have a bit of The Jetsons (my take) tossed in, there is also a great degree of contemporary tie to the work.

Rotofugi, 1955 W. Chicago Drive, Chicago, IL.

More views from the exhibition follow.

Jim Rose makes familiar pieces from unfamiliar material – metal.

He specializes in steel art furniture, which follows the Shaker tradition in aesthetics. Rose’s reuse of refuse provides familiar new life to old things, while charting a new course that creates some startling realizations. What exactly is that? Simple enough question, but one I find myself asking regularly when viewing Rose’s furniture. It’s great fun.

More examples follow.