Design
John Procario
Freeform VII
Image courtesy of: John Procario
John Procario grew up in and out of his father’s carpentry workshop; that was the start of his love for wood and it has never wavered. After studying sculpture during his early years, he began translating his personal aesthetic to furniture and lighting designs. Courtesy of Todd Merrill Studio, Procario said, “I would describe my work as having a heartbeat. Each one has so much personality and as you move around them, the forms look like they are changing.”
Part of the Freeform Series.
Image courtesy of: Design Milk
Procario was inspired by the idea of wood being a metaphor for the body; wood bends up until a certain point… then it breaks similar to how a muscle snaps or a bone cracks. The designer realized that until now, due to the wood’s rigidity, it had only been pushed to a certain point. By testing those limits, Procario was able to express how a wood’s strain is actually its beauty. He explains, “Just as we push the limits of wood to create a sense of strain in the material’s gesture.”
The magician’s sculptural lighting is made of micro-laminated wood that is fused with LEDs. When he has an idea of what he wants to design, Procario freeform bends the wood into a “atypical wood shape.” What results is an undulating from that has become synonymous with the designer himself.
Some of our favorite pieces are made from ash wood.
Image courtesy of: Lighting Stores
It isn’t hard to imagine the number of pieces the designer broke while he was in the process of learning how to “bend” wood. Sometimes he experimented with a hydraulic press and sometimes it was just his own strength… but over time, Procario gained an understanding of wood’s rigidity and that helped him to understand where to draw the line. He confirms that this is a delicate and intentional process; “wood doesn’t always want to work with you when you are freeform bending so you have to work with it. But I really enjoy that. Sometimes it takes you in new directions that would never have happened if everything was planned out.”
The designer uses these words to describe his work: harmony, stress, precariousness, balance, and fluidity. Since it is wood he’s working with, no two pieces are the same. Procario’s work is magical due to all of these factors; and in part because he has learned to “let go” and let the wood do “as it pleases.”
Procario also designed a series of curved lamps.
Image courtesy of: Of Design
The technique of steam bending is one that Procario has perfected. With that, it is vital that the wood strips are thin so that the fibers are relaxed and flexible. Once manipulated, those stripes are laminated together to form a rigid section. In terms of wood choices, the designer uses either white oak or ash because they are extremely solid species of wood which is pertinent to the process. Procario uses a band of flexible LED light that is inserted and affixed with an adhesive and plexiglass is adapted on the LED strip to control the light’s intensity.
The artist himself at work…
Image courtesy of: John Procario
A long list of high-end designers have started to include Procario’s large-scale commissions in both residential and commercial projects. The designer loves commissions for large spaces; he says, “These pieces use the same language. But more space gives me more opportunity to play with the shapes.”
The designer likens his practice to a collaborative process between a craftsman and the wood’s personality. There’s no telling what the final outcome will ultimately look like; however, we know for sure that it will be organic and elegant… and one of a kind!
