Whether it’s the individual petals that make up the iconic sphere Coating IIor abstract trunks and branches form of Hydra graceful sketch, or RoseSculptural embodiment of plant growth, the natural world has always been a source of inspiration for David Harber.
“David Harber has a DNA, an aesthetic that people recognize,” says design director Lior Kristal. Lior, who recently joined the renowned sculptor, says he shares a lot in common with David: “I’ve always been fascinated by nature, and the shapes and patterns that surround us. That’s in me, and certainly in David.”
It was 30 years since David opened his workshop, when the first sculpture to leave the workshop was a classical astronomical globe. This was probably his first work, as David’s direct ancestor, the astronomer and mathematician Sir John Blagrave (1561-1611), created a famous astrolabe known as the ‘Mathematical Pearl’.
“The planetarium is where it all started, and now, exactly 30 years later, we’ve designed a new planetarium to celebrate that 30th anniversary,” says Lior. “In a sense, it’s a recognition of the old and the new, both in terms of the sculpture itself and the collaboration between David and me. It was really a David-led design because it was his whole world, whereas I had no idea how precise the placement of each arc and curve on an planetarium had to be. I wanted to make it more intuitive and playful, so it has two handles that you can play with, turning until a sliver of light appears through a slit in the globe like a gnomon, guiding your eyes to that point in time.”
Being able to combine his design skills with the skills of the David Harber team is something Lior is enjoying. “We are upstairs in the design studio and you can go downstairs straight to the heart of the action, which is the workshop. You can quickly talk to someone about an idea or gather a lot of information very quickly. It also stimulates ideas. Some of the team at David Harber are third-generation makers and craftsmen, and everyone is there under one roof, from David drawing designs on paper with pen and pencil, to the engineering team, to the manufacturing managers, to the finishing managers…
“It’s a very organised business and because everything is done in-house, people know what they’re going to get: a sculpture delivered on time, with aftercare and warranty.”
This setup is especially suited to clients who have a specific request – a bespoke project. “My superpower is to get as much information out of people as possible,” says Lior. “If the conversation is going in the right direction and someone can convey a message to me, I can convey that message into the design and it will continue throughout the fabrication process and back to the client. It’s always better if a sculpture evokes an emotional response,” he adds. “One of the most amazing experiences I’ve had in my entire design career was recently when we were showing a bunch of architects a bunch of ideas for a public space on a Zoom call. The client was completely silent and I thought it was a communication issue, but a minute later he said he had a really emotional reaction to the piece. I thought that was amazing.”
Learn more at davidharber.co.uk
