[Title] Hermèscope
[Artist] Oscar Diaz
[Date] March 19,2014 – May 6,2014
The smallish object discernible within the kaleidoscope is colorful and glistening, emerging in the likeness of something very precious indeed. Perhaps we all retain memories of being captivated by patterns that expand endlessly beyond the darkness, and of staring intently into those continuously shifting reflections.
Hermès Carré scarves also comprise such microcosms, enveloping in infinite patterns along the lines of kaleidoscopes. Designer Oscar Diaz has plotted the latest Maison Hermès window in the image of such a kaleidoscope, drawing from notions inherent in the Carré.
What Diaz finds in the kaleidoscope is linkage between science and nature, emerging in a world of geometrical figures. The symmetry portrayed by the kaleidoscope is none other than an axis plotting the evolution of the natural world. The symmetry played out by fauna and flora, meanwhile, conjures up sensations of the awakening of spring, and the long and uninterrupted metamorphosis of the animate world. Expanding on interminably within the kaleidoscope is a chain of such geometrical patterns. Stepping back for a moment, a linear progression, appearing to be one part of these patterns, can be seen depicted above the window in the manifestation of a signal of sorts. In that capacity, it functions to beckon passersby up to the window glass surface.
Herein can be found an eternal metamorphosis woven of colors and shapes, realized through a process of mathematical thought and examination, in tandem with intricate computation and experimentation. Visible in the distance are turning gearwheels loaded with Hermès products, a peephole drawing closer the window facade and, visible in the depths of the diorama, a symmetrical world unfolding in a boundless proportions. On the strength of this fluid fusion of macrocosmic and microscopic worlds, facilitated by the magic of a kaleidoscope, the evolution of Hermès creations into separate forms continues to progress.
Oscar Diaz
Oscar Diaz is a product designer living and working in London. Graduated with an MA in Product Design at the Royal College of Art in London under the direction of Ron Arad, he worked briefly in Japan designing furniture before returning to London to set up his studio in 2007.
His work is not defined by a style, but rather by a way of understanding, exploring and questioning objects, while considering their context and the cultural associations embedded on them.
Plain and playful, his projects take inspiration from everyday things, which by a simple twist become something unexpected. He is currently a visiting lecturer in Design Products at the Royal College of Art in London.