RELEASE 4: PHANTOM LIMBS JAN 2025

PHANTOM LIMBS is a resurrection, of sorts, of work that was made in Spring 2019, as part of a show we mounted in our studio, MY NEW APPENDAGE. Drawing on references as varied as medical equipment, exercise machines, and medieval torture devices, this collection of sculpted foam works was mounted on skeletal wooden supports. A companion set of smaller pieces, VESTIGES, followed in Fall 2019.

Since then, all of these pieces have been in storage, and the wooden structures from MY NEW APPENDAGE were broken down to save space and money.

Now, we present selections from these past collections in a new form, as wall-mounted works. Each piece is paired with a form-specific hook, made from hand-waxed marine plywood.

In conjunction with the release, selections from PHANTOM LIMBS will be shown at Window on Franklin (184 Franklin St) starting Thursday, Jan. 30th

THE WITCH [PHANTOM]
R4-23

23H x 11.5D x 10W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood

UNFOLDED MASS [PHANTOM]
R4-24

67H x 2D x 19.5W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood
*displayed at Window on Franklin until 2/23

Sold Out

UNTITLED [PHANTOM]
R4-25

10H x 11D x 17W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood

Sold Out

VESTIGE I [PHANTOM]
R4-26

35H x 3.5D x 2W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood

Sold Out

VESTIGE II [PHANTOM]
R4-27

12H x 5D x 10W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood
*displayed at Window on Franklin until 2/23

VESTIGE III [PHANTOM]
R4-28

9H x 2.5D x 5W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood
*displayed at Window on Franklin until 2/23

Sold Out

VESTIGE VI [PHANTOM]
R4-29

35H x 3D x 3W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood

VESTIGE VII [PHANTOM]
R4-30

18H x 3D x 2.5W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood
*displayed at Window on Franklin until 2/23

VESTIGE VIII [PHANTOM]
R4-31

3H x 5D x 9W
Polyurethane foam, coating, pigment, wood

Sold Out

RELEASE 3: REMNANTS OCT 2024

Remnants is all about applied restrictions: each stool had to fit within the same small dimensions, and each was made using only materials that could be found in the studio.

Composed of leftover materials that have been floating around, in some cases, for years – aluminum tubing, foam, polyethylene sheeting, a bathtub mat, Garolite, a scrap of leather – each stool is a truly unique object.

The accompanying photos, conceived and shot by Luca Venter, situate the Remnants in their primordial ooze: the scrap piles and dusty shelves of our studio.

MILKING STOOL
R3-18

12.75H x 8.5D x 15.5W
Marine board, aluminum tubing, plywood, bathtub liner

Sold Out

GARDEN STOOL
R3-19

12.75H x 8.5D x 15.5W
Marine board, foam, coating

Sold Out

SITE STOOL
R3-20

15.5H x 9.75D x 15.5W
Garolite, lumber, insulation foam board

Sold Out

BARRIER STOOL
R3-21

12.75H x 8.5D x 15.5W
Plywood, masonite, Garolite, HDPE, spray paint

Sold Out

LEATHER STOOL
R3-22

12.75H x 8.5D x 15.5W
Marine plywood, aluminum tubing, construction netting, cow leather

Sold Out

RELEASE 2: PINE TAR MAR 2024

Pine Tar is a collection of light fixtures that are composed using three simple elements: black pine tar, glass, and wood.

Pine tar has been used as a wood preservative in Scandinavia for hundreds of years, where it protects homes, furniture, and ships from moisture and UV damage. Made by heating wood in a kiln to extremely high temperatures – but without letting it catch fire – it is, in a sense, “liquid smoke.”

We’ve used it here as a color treatment for the wooden bodies of the light fixtures. The woods (yellow pine, oak, and marine plywood) were chosen for their distinct grain patterns, which are brought out during the application of the pine tar. You might detect the smoky scent of the pine tar, reminiscent of a campfire.

The glass panels, off-cuts from past work, are either pieces of wire glass or two-way mirror (also known, confusingly, as one-way mirror).

LONG BULB MIRROR SCONCE
R2-11

12H X 4.25D X 7.5W
Two way mirror glass, southern yellow pine, light

$425.00

Sold Out

TWIN LAMP SCONCE
R2-14

32H X 3.5D X 8.5W
Wire glass, oak, light fixture

$415.00

Sold Out

FLOOD LIGHT DESK LAMP
R2-17

7H X 5D X 6.75W
Two way mirror glass, southern yellow pine, light

Sold Out

CHROME BULB DESK LAMP
R2-13

5.5H X 5.25D X 3.5W
Two way mirror glass, southern yellow pine, light fixture.

Sold Out

ANGLED PANEL LIGHT
R2-15

6.75H X 4.5D X 19.5W
Wire glass, oak, light fixture.

Sold Out

MUSHROOM BULB DESK LAMP
R2-16

17.75L X 3.75D X 14.25W
Two way mirror glass, southern yellow pine, light fixture.

Sold Out

MIRROR WINDOW SCONCE
R2-12

17.75L X 3.75D X 14.25W
Two way mirror glass, southern yellow pine, light fixture.

Sold Out

RELEASE 1: Dyneema FEB 2024

Inspired by North Korean hotel decor and old woodworking techniques, the pieces in RELEASE 1 were made using a combination of Dyneema, foam, and vinyl.

Dyneema is a high-performance, non-woven composite fiber. Referred to by its parent company as ‘the world’s strongest fiber,’ Dyneema is used in applications ranging from ballistics to construction to sailing. While researching a way to design a tent that could be ‘bulletproof’ and ‘stab proof,’ we became aware of this material. That project has yet to be realized, but it did inspire the use of Dyneema here as a coating for the foam. We chose a lighter weight fabric for its semi-transparency and soft, papery feel.

There are actually two types of foam used here, both polyurethane upholstery foams of varying density. The foam used is basically scrap, either ordered for clients who went AWOL or offcuts from our foam supplier. We shaped the foam pieces with hand tools – wood saw, electric hot knife, a microplane – and the Dyneema was applied using an adhesive formulated for bonding polyurethane to fabric.

Finally, we backed some of the Dyneema with cotton batting and a found vinyl tablecloth, creating something in between a doily, a tarp, and a throw pillow.

RELEASE 1 is the first move in establishing a new way of making and disseminating our work. The idea is to work faster, experiment more, and just generally be weirder.

Each release is intended to be a standalone set of works, and each of the works within is unique, a one-of-one, never to be made again. We assign each piece a serial number, and the owner of the piece is recorded in our database when it’s sold

CORRUGATED SIDE TABLE (LONG)
R1-04

Made from a machine-carved offcut, this sturdy side table can also serve as extra seating. Long version.

14H x 26.5L x 12W
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

MODULAR LOUNGE (LEFT SIDE)
R1-10

A one-armed lounge chair. Pair it with the right side to create a larger unit.

23H x 25L x 20W (Individual Chair)
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

MODULAR LOUNGE (RIGHT SIDE)
R1-02

A one-armed lounge chair. Pair it with the left side to create a larger unit.

23H x 25L x 20W (Individual Chair)
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

SETTEE
R1-01

An offcut salvaged from our foam supplier, repurposed as seating. Includes a Dyneema cushion.

19.5H x 43L x 22W
Dyneema, foam, vinyl

Sold Out

RAW FACE STOOL

One side of this stool reveals the foam structure beneath; as the foam oxidizes over time, its colors will shift and deepen. Includes a two-sided vinyl/Dyneema cushion.

12H x 20L x 22W
Dyneema, foam, vinyl.

Sold Out

ARM REST

A portable rest for your arm.

6H x 12L x 5.25W
Dyneema, foam, vinyl.

Sold Out

CRESCENT BENCH

Suitable as a bench or side table. Includes a matching cushion.

16H x 36L x 12W
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

CORRUGATED SIDE TABLE (SHORT)

Made from a machine-carved offcut, this sturdy side table can also serve as extra seating. Short version.

14H x 18.25L x 12W
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

PADDED THROW

Use it as a lap covering, a floor cushion, or a shawl.

37L x 27W
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

FLEXIBLE WALL LOUNGE

This compact lounge chair has a flexible, wrap-around back.

23H x 25D x 20W
Dyneema, foam.

Sold Out

Kristen Wentrcek & Andrew Zebulon are multidisciplinary artists based in New York City.

For information regarding commissions and available past works, please contact information@marta.la