Brent Anderson, Jennifer Prichard and Julie Cohn
“Design Inspirations — The Art of Craft”
29 October 2019
Tuesday, 6:30 pm, Informal reception at 6:15 pm
Venue: Dallas Black Dance Theatre, 2700 Ann Williams Way in the Dallas Arts District.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR:
David Hocker
HOCKER
David Hocker, FASLA, has established a highly respected reputation for himself and his award-winning landscape architecture firm, HOCKER, since its inception in 2004. His work has become known for the unique use of materials, particularly recycled and regionally sensitive, in unexpected and precisely executed ways. He has a keen sense of scaled relationships and construction detailing, both of which are apparent in his firm’s built work. Studying in Italy introduced David to the “master builder” concept of the Renaissance and the Italian tradition of landscape and architecture that offers consideration to both private and public spaces. His successful built works have contributed to a greater design conversation regarding landscape architecture’s ability to bridge between interior and exterior spaces.
PANELISTS
Brent Anderson
Elemental Design
Brent Anderson was born in Alberta, Canada moving to Lisbon in his teens where he traveled extensively in Portuguese West and Portuguese East Africa, Western Europe and Morocco. Even after returning to the states to finish high school in Oklahoma, Brent spent a summer working in Angola. Upon completing an Applied Sciences Associates degree in drafting engineering, he went to work for Texas Instruments developing clandestine personal electronic devices for the company’s traveling executives à la James Bond’s Q. Brent switched gears when he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Design from the University of North Texas, beginning his career as an Art Director, Creative Director, and co-founder of an agency in Dallas. His work took him all over the world, from Indonesia to California. He was also a Visiting Artist Professor at UT Arlington teaching typography, illustration, and professional practices. When a client needed a trade show exhibit with little budget, Brent built it himself. From this experience his career as a maker developed, initially in the advertising world, then building art furniture and finally working as an architectural metal artisan. Brent’s clients include leading architects and contractors Max Levy Architects, Shipley Architects, Morrison Dilworth + Walls, Hardy Construction, and Space Between Design Studios. Brent has collaborated with these outstanding studios on everything from drawer pulls and staircases to hardscape and the elements of a columbarium.
Julie Cohn
Julie Cohn Design
Julie Cohn’s creative endeavors have come together to form her unique vision and aesthetic, characterized by the tension between rough and refined, primitive and modern, ultimately paring things down to their essence. Educated as a painter and printmaker Julie studied the craft of bookbinding and box-making to house her prints which lead her down a diverse design path that included rugs, textiles, hardware, tabletop, collaborations with architects and public art. As a self-taught jeweler, her approach is unconventional in process and begins by working directly with materials rather than sketching a preconceived idea. She is inspired by the intersection of modern and primitive art, combining old world craft with mixed media processes.
Her pieces are about possibilities for layering and stacking to create personal collages that uniquely juxtapose disparate elements with simple elegance. Her studio in Dallas, Texas functions as an artistic collective where she mentors young artists to see the possibilities of parlaying their talents into art-centric careers. Working together, they learn the complexities of making products by hand, collaborate in the artistic process, problem solve fabrication and observe the trials and tribulations of bringing handmade products to the marketplace. Her goal is to inspire young artists to learn how to connect the dots, take forks in the road and use their skills to create an artful life. “Many of my staff are studying art with my peers from graduate school. Our conversations about the creative process, artistic influences, movies, podcasts, fashion etc. creates a rich environment for birthing new ideas, combining disparate materials and creating non-traditional fabrication techniques. Everyone in the studio has a voice.” Julie Cohn resides with her husband, landscape architect David Rolston and daughter Mila in their modern home and creative haven in the White Rock Lake area of Dallas.
Jennifer Prichard
J Prichard Design LLC
A native Dallasite now based in Austin, the artist Jennifer Prichard is the co-founder of, and creative force behind, J Prichard Design LLC. The firm is known for its large-scale, site-specific installations composed of thousands of handmade ceramic forms, many of which are thrown on the potters’ wheel. Because her work integrates into the architecture of its site, Jennifer often works closely with the project’s architects and designers to realize her vision. Her work has been commissioned for commercial and private projects worldwide and has been covered extensively in the US and international design press. Jennifer received her BFA from The University of Texas at Austin in 1996 and her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design in 2001.
The venue for this panel is the Dallas Black Dance Theater building directly behind One Arts Plaza. The DBDT is located at the corner of Arts Plaza Street and Ann Williams Way – at 2700 Ann Williams Way, Dallas, TX 75201. Free parking is available between the DBDT building and Fellowship Church, located to the east of the DBDT building.