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Something about Matt Gagnon’s work is just indefinably superb. He seems to have a penchant for design feng shui; an innate sense of the alchemy of form and material. Whatever it is, Matt Gagnon’s pieces are striking, elegant and original.

Gagnon opened Matt Gagnon Studio in Brooklyn in 2002, after working for Frank Gehry, Gaetano Pesce and other renowned designers. His work spans a range of media, from furniture and lighting to architectural design and theater sets. Each of the ten objects available for viewing at his site struck my fancy for a different reason, but the Paper Table stood out for its sustainable attributes. This coffee table cum magazine rack is as earthy and organic as it is urban and contemporary. It looks a bit like a chunk of driftwood, with smooth fissures worn away by the elements, or like an abstract cityscape strewn with tilted skyscrapers.

The Paper table is made of laser-cut recycled sheet paper (Homasote-brand) that has been bolted together, sanded and finished with oil. The piece becomes interactive when you fill the gaps in the table with your current reading materials. At ICFF, Gagnon told the New York Times, Since it/s basically made of old magazines, the addition of new ones completes it again. What’s more instantly gratifying than seeing the entire recycling process come full-circle, all within the confines of your coffee table?

More of Matt Gagnon’s designs (such as this bendable screen and acrylic lamp) can be seen on his website: www.mattstudio.com

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