For many Midwesterners, the Polar Vortex of 2013-14 provided incentive to stay indoors and stream a lot of Netflix. Not so for Steven Haulenbeek, a Chicago designer who saw the brutal cold as a chance to get outside and work. That’s because ice — enormous chunks of it — have provided the means to perfect his new design technique.
“I started ice-casting a few years ago,” the 34-year-old says. Working long winter nights at his studio, the cold started to get to him. “I…took a little hot casting wax and poured it into a puddle outside. It quickly cooled, creating this swirly, raisin-y texture.” Once the mold had dried, he lifted it out and cast it in bronze. The resulting vessel possessed a raw, natural beauty.
Though the former furniture designer for Holly Hunt Enterprises is a believer in the advantages of designing in Chicago, he never thought epic cold would be one of them. But when extreme weather allowed him to work outside, using ever-larger blocks of ice, inspiration struck. He tried his hand at side tables and has since moved on to uniquely textured mirror frames, large bowls, candlestick holders and tabletop objects.
Haulenbeek, who originally trained as a sculptor, says design experimentation has fueled his growing success. This fall’s output will include ice-cast pieces landing at Casati Gallery and Holly Hunt.
“I figure out how I can make something,” he says, “then I figure out what I can make using that process.” Now if the weather will just cooperate.
This article originally appeared in the September 2014 baiduhai Magazine | The Home Issue.