Clio-award winning designer, art director and photographer Robert Rausch
lived and worked in Paris, New York and Los Angeles before heading back home to
The Shoals, in the northwest corner of Alabama, to open GAS - Design Center. There he completes a sort of creative trifecta
with fellow Shoals natives Natalie Chanin and Billy Reid.
A huge proponent of “Slow Design,” Rausch spoke with Southernist about his
design philosophy, high design coming out of the south, and the challenges of
working from Alabama.
What are some
of the struggles you've had because you are based there vs. when you were based
in New York or L.A.?
I
think in a bigger city there is more work to be had and there is a trust that
people have for you as a designer.
Working from a small town, the first question people wonder is “if you’re such a
good designer why are you living in a small town in Alabama/” It’s not
something they come out and ask but it’s an underlying thing they think until
they work with you and then they realize it's a lifestyle choice and not a setback.
Most of our clients see it as an asset. They feel like we give them something
fresh that the designers in the bigger cities can’t give them.
You talk a lot about “slow design.” Can you explain what that
is?
Slow Design approaches design from a holistic
(individuals, society, and environment) view, with
consideration to the social factors as well as the short and long term impacts
of the design and materials used. We use the Slow Design as a way to
rethink not only the design but the needs of the client.
Traditionally Slow Design has
these six components (defined by the slow lab project)
1. Reveal: Slow design
reveals spaces and experiences in everyday life that are often missed or
forgotten, including the materials and processes that can easily be overlooked
in an artifact’s existence or creation.
2. Expand: Slow design
considers the real and potential “expressions” of artifacts and environments
beyond their perceived functionality, physical attributes and lifespans.
3. Reflect: Slowly-designed
artifacts and environments induce contemplation and ‘reflective
consumption.’
4. Engage: Slow design
processes are “open source” and collaborative, relying on sharing, co-operation
and transparency of information so that designs may continue to evolve into the
future.
5. Participate: Slow design
encourages people to become active participants in the design process,
embracing ideas of conviviality and exchange to foster social accountability
and enhance communities.
6. Evolve: Slow design
recognizes that richer experiences can emerge from the dynamic maturation of
artifacts and environments over time. Looking beyond the needs and circumstances
of the present day, Slow Design processes and outcomes become agents of both
preservation and transformation.
Who else in the south is doing notable design work and what is
it about their work that you find unique or appealing:
From
crafting to farming, Southern tradition cultivates beauty. Good design stimulates
intellect and elevates the lives that exist around it. Here are a few examples
of Southern High Design:
Belle Chevre: This goat cheese from rural Alabama
is sold in Beverly Hills and Dean & Deluca in New York City. Tasia
Malakasis is the face of this passionate company. Tasia has so much vision for
her cheeses. Not only are the cheeses innovative (she has a whole line of
breakfast cheeses) but the packaging is hip, with an appeal to a younger
demographic. Her goal is to sell cheese back to the French and she will do it.
For a small town Alabama Cheese she is already sold on the east and west coast
of the U.S.
Knobstoppers
& Cake Vintage: Featuring paper goods and accessories for the table
that are sold at retailers such as Anthropologie, West Elm, and Williams-Sonoma.
They have a traditional classic stye and design. They have unique table papers
for food. Classic designs used in contemporary ways. So their innovation is
more with reuse than unique design.
Bella
Cucina: The pleasures of dining with Bella Cucina's foods as well as their
ceramics, linens and home goods are a luxury you can take home with you- or
enjoy at their shopping and dining location, Porta Via in Atlanta, GA. It's
hard to beat Italy when it comes to food. Smith has done a killer job with the
design and his wife has done an incredible job with the food. Just look at the
packaging and it evokes what is on the inside and what the whole company is
about. Simple, detailed, chic.
Wesley Baker of Baker Binding: Based in
Anniston, Alabama, Wesley Baker handcrafts books with quality practices and
materials. It's no wonder that his clients include the famous luxury brand
Asprey in London. The craftsmanship of Wes
is amazing. I love working with him and on every project he puts so much time
into the smallest detail. It’s nice to have that in today’s world where you
have to go with the standard. When you work with Wes there are no standards.
It's all custom.
****
Rausch's photography can be seen in The New York
Times, Travel & Leisure, Garden and Gun, Southern Living, Ladies Home Journal,
and Veranda Magazine, just to name a few. His design work can be seen at
Anthropologie, Hilton Hotels, Whole Foods, Ted Montana Grill, The Waldorf
Astoria, and Billy Reid.
Robert's devotion to Slow Design is evident
in his work and the clients his work attracts.
He works out of a magnificently
converted historic building in downtown Tuscumbia and he lives on a small farm with
his wife and four children.
