Design Miami/

R & Company is thrilled to announce its participation in the 2018 edition of the Design Miami/ fair with a curated presentation of important historical works alongside visionary contemporary designs.

A central focus of the booth this year is dedicated to presenting a monumental sculptural tub designed by The Haas Brothers, titled “Bathy Bates”. This unique masterwork is made in hand-carved Pele de Tigre marble from Portugal. Taking inspiration from the deep cultural history of luxury bathing found throughout time, “Bathy Bates” is a sensual work that can be used as both an indoor and outdoor sculpture. One can view this work through the lens of history: from the Roman baths of antiquity to the rise of luxury spas in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Europe, where individuals would go to revive and revitalize the body and soul. Offering the promise not only of refreshment but of an experience, “Bathy Bates” nods to history while inviting viewers to let go of the past. “Bathy Bates” is debuting at the Design Miami/ fair which coincides with The Haas Brothers’ major solo exhibition, Ferngully opening at The Bass Museum on December 5.

R & Company’s Design Miami/ presentation also debuts a new series of largescale “Girl Lamps” made and designed by Katie Stout. This new body of work was developed at Stout’s residency at Anderson Ranch in fall 2018 and expands upon her celebrated “Girl” series. The “Girl Lamps” are all unique ceramic works that vary in color, texture and form. Their poses, both confident and oftentimes provocative, draw reference to the stances of historical Greek and Roman sculptures. Presented all together, the series satirize the objectification and traditional role of women by way of extreme kitsch. The “Girls”, clearly adult women, are titled as such in a reflection of how society disempowers and fetishizes women by referring to them as “Girls”.

Also on view is selection of mid-century Brazilian design by masters Joaquim Tenreiro, Jose Zanine Caldas, and Sergio Rodrigues. While distinct, all of the present works speak to a unique sense of Brazilian identity and craftsmanship through their attention to detail and embrace of indigenous materials. Tenreiro’s designs illustrate his prowess with working various Brazilian hardwoods to their structural limits, all while giving each piece a sense of weightlessness. Blending natural beauty with functionalism, the sculptural coffee table by Zanine, in turn, is an example of the designer’s “protest furniture,” made of wood scraps that loggers did not use in their predatory exploration of the Atlantic forest in Brazil. The hardware allied with sensuous Brazilian woods, achieve simple luxury in Rodrigues’ design for wall-mounted shelves.

Together the works on view at Design Miami/ demonstrate R & Company’s mission of preserving important historical pieces, while offering innovative contemporary design.