Trained in furniture design at the Rhode Island School of Design, designer Leon Ransmeier brings simplicity to functional objects. In 2004, Ransmeier founded Ransmeier Inc., an industrial design practice based in New York City. In 2007, he co-founded the design firm DBA with partners Erik Wysocan and Patrick Sarkissian, where he worked as creative director of design for three years. His work is included in the permanent collections of The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) and the Rhode Island School of Design Art Museum.
This week, Leon was in the hot shop with Museum glassmakers continuing a series of glass pitchers that he first developed for GlassLab design sessions on Governors Island in New York City last summer. I caught up with him to hear about what’s next for the project.
What are you working on today?
Today we are working on a project which I entitled “Nine Ways to Use a Pitcher.” This is an extension of a project I developed together with GlassLab on Governors Island last summer.
It’s exciting to be here and have the opportunity to create the actual nine pitchers. When we were working on Governors Island, due to the time constraints and the experimental nature of glass as a medium, we weren’t able to fabricate anything that was of museum quality.
And when you were working on Governors Island it was more about experimentation.
Absolutely. And, it was about getting to know these incredible glassblowers and also learning the material for myself. I’m not a glass artist. I’ve had some experience with the medium in the past but every project is different.
Now with some experience, how would you approach designing for glass?
It’s hard to say because every project comes with a different set of constraints. The constraints of say, designing a pitcher, would be very different from designing a lamp or designing a drinking glass. And when I work on any project—it’s difficult—but I attempt to start every new assignment with fresh eyes. I think when you walk into something with the assumption that you already know the answer, you’re not asking the right questions.
Tell me about the pitcher handles. I know there were some adjustments.
Well, there are a lot of handles. We changed from a flat ribbon handle to a round cane handle. It’s interesting with glass—it seems as though it really likes to be round. It’s a radial material, it’s always spinning, and it’s always being turned. And so because of that, the round cane handles feel a bit more natural and they feel like they fit in your hand a little bit more nicely as well. We’ve made some other design adjustments as well. The glass pitchers will look different from the initial cardboard models and that’s a good thing—that’s part of the design process.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Thank you guys for having me here, it’s been great.
Learn more about Leon Ransmeier http://www.cmog.org/glasslab/designers/leon-ransmeier