Chris

In day to day operations, I get a lot of credit for the things CLP Design produces. While I certainly deserve some of that since I work hard and more hours than a person should or could, I have to say that I would be nowhere without the people pictured below and the great folks that aren’t mentioned.

The fact that the floors are clean in my shop means that I can produce some of the most stunning art for your home safely and accurately, so in essence I view the guy sweeping the floors and keeping it neat as my equal in this process… the great folks that have dedicated their time and energy into this company deserve more credit than I can give…

A few of the people who keep us running from day-to-day.

• Administration: Randi, Kim
• Promotion: Holly, Than
• Production: Josh, Joel, Tim
• Warehouse: Keith, Randy, Dino

… and so many more!

Bios of a few are at http://christopherleeplummer.com/company/people.html.

Chris

OK… I am thoroughly convinced that humanity has lost their minds…

So its the year 2008. The world is warming up, the planet is in extreme peril, and everybody wants to do their part.

So the kitchen and bath industry is coming up with ‘green’ designs like… a shower head with LED lights in it?? How is that supposed to be considered green? Why does a shower head need lights in the first place?

We as a culture have become so used to the disposability of objects that even a potentially positive idea like “green design” comes to mean gimmicks and cheap gadgets, rather than quality worksmanship and permanence. I remember my grandmother’s stove (note I said “stove”, not “stoves”). She had the same one for my entire life. It was a gas range, enamelled off-white, and she used it like most people use their cars: everyday, for hours on end. She baked, broiled, seared, and in general supplied lots of home-cooked southern food to a fairly large family. It never needed repair; it never needed replacement… Why? Because it was designed well, built well and treated with the respect one automatically gives to something they know was created by craftsmen…

Just recently we went to install a range hood for a special client in South Carolina. I loved the look on the faces of the carpenters and masons on the jobsite when they saw the range hood, all were amazed. And i was as well… the stone work was great, the moldings in this house were gorgeous, just about everything there was done right. It is strange the kudos one receives from other people that actually do quality craftsmenship. I guess it comes down to actually knowing what it takes to do something and do it well, and I like that.

So back to “green”, if we as a culture can stop demanding that things be cheap, or easily affordable, and actually ask and demand that some thing be made well, designed well, I don’t think I would have to wait in line at the local landfill.

Chris

On May 12th, 2008 Robert Rauschenberg died in his home in Captiva, Florida. I was informed of his death about an hour after it happened. I can’t say I was surprised… he was 82 years old, and he’d had several strokes over the past few years. I will say that there is a special sadness that occurs when someone so special leaves the earth, a shaking occurs, a rift, a void. I feel as if the world has lost a true treasure, a similar feeling to learning a animal has gone extinct. Luckily Bob has left behind many things for us to look at and try to understand. Sadly he will not be here to show us the joy he spread by his mere presence.

I am not one to cry, but last night after i got home and had forgotten about the business of the day I was struck by the reality of his death. I found my self hoping I am wrong and there is a place like heaven, cause I can imagine him there screenprinting the angels, turning them into things more stunning than all the images Michaelangelo conceived. I imagine him drinking Jack Daniels with some celestial power showing them how to really communicate with others through imagery. I can just see him wandering through the golden streets drunk on joy and life….. but then i think this is how he lived……

Very few people have impacted me the way Bob has, and I am sure he will continue to play the same role one way or another….. even at the age of 82, I have to ask why do the good die young.

Chris

“Because life should be more than lived… I don’t just want to make things pretty, I want to make your house explode with meaning, like a great painting”. This is a short video interview with Christopher Lee Plummer discussing some thoughts on art and design.

In other news, we were mentioned in Yale Appliance and Lighting’s blog as the most noteworthy new product at K/BIS this year. Thanks! Yale Appliance is organizing a designer showcase called Innovation ‘08 May 17-18 in Boston, which we have a couple of hoods on display at. Chris will be making a guest appearance there as well…

Chris

What do you do with the leftover pieces after you chop up a classic car to build a range hood? When we were faced with that problem, Chris decided to build an art piece. Using sheet metal from the fenders of a ‘57 Chevy, patterned stamped metal, oil and acrylic paints, various hardware, and fire, this piece was built to a soundtrack of early 80’s Texas punk music.

Here’s some video footage of the process.

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