Parsons School of Design Gallery
2 West 13th Street
New York City

Contact: Deborah Spence, Public Relations, Parsons School of Design,
tel.: 212-229-5314, spenced@newschool.edu

Reinventing the Home. Parsons School of Design presents
transformation: new international design
an exhibition of innovative furniture, lighting, textiles and objects for the home, featuring the works of more than 30 designers from around the world

transformation: new international design exhibition
June 18–October 3, 2003
Press Preview: Wednesday, June 18, 4–6pm
Opening Reception: Wednesday, June 18, 6–9pm sponsored by Bombay Sapphire
Parsons School of Design Gallery at 2 West 13
2 West 13th Street, New York, NY 10011
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9am–9pm; Saturday–Sunday, 9am–6pm

(New York, NY–June 1, 2003), Professional designers interpreting the 21st Century home will be the focus of a groundbreaking exhibition opening at 6:00pm on June 18th at the Gallery at 2 West 13th Street, Parsons School of Design. Entitled transformation, the exhibition reflects the often unorthodox approach that designers bring to iconic pieces for the home, and showcases works that use unexpected and surprising materials, processes, or forms to reinvent the familiar. Members of the press are invited to attend a special press preview to view the work and speak with some of the designers on Wednesday, June 18, from 4–6pm.

The show is juried by Susan Yelavich, curator, writer, and former Assistant Director for Public Programs at Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and Chee Pearlman, design critic and former editor-in-chief of I.D. magazine. Jessica Corr, founder of the design group, Collaborative, and faculty member at Parsons, and Julie Stahl, founder of MULLER STAHL, a design management and consulting firm, curated the exhibition.

transformation emerged out of the recognition that an enormous sector of the design industry was being overlooked. The show is unique in that all the featured designers are women. Among the 30+ designers whose work is in the show, many are well established in Europe, but rarely have exhibited in the U.S.

"Manufacturers, producers and distributers represent few women; therefore, their work is seldom seen," states co-curator Jessica Corr. "transformation addresses this imbalance by bringing new, inspirational and culturally relevant works into the public's eye without an immediate focus on gender. We hope that one day that this distinction won't exist at all."

As a result, the title of the show expresses two different philosophies: a challenge to perceptions of who the designer is, as well as a celebration of the reinvention of design in the home. "Culturally, we seek comfort and personal connections to the furniture and objects in our home. We want the objects around us to communicate who we are," said co-curator Julie Stahl. "The desire to fill one's home with objects is about more than just function. It's about communicating through historical references, conceptual approaches, new technology, aesthetics and wit."

Reflecting the cultural and emotional element in design, this innovative and thought-provoking show will run through October 3rd.

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