The almost loop-like form of the slide, functionally
absurd, is Baas’ metaphor for time, which he describes
as a repeating cycle in which we go through the same
stages and see the same problems in different forms. ‘To
challenge yourself, you want to learn new things and
keep on developing. In that sense, you are always a child,
and in that way you can stay forever young,’ he says.
The curious forms – a cartoon take on private
parts, male and female – and the deliberately clumsy
movement of the spring rockers are an innocent but
frankly unmistakable play with sexuality. ‘In a way,
sexuality can also be seen as kind of a search – although
“search” is too rational a term,’ says Baas. ‘It’s a way
of playing as well, or looking for freedom and energy.
And let’s be honest and not be too serious about
it, it also reflects what’s under the radar in a human’s
mind. We are craving to get away from all the rules
and all the rationality and be like a child. We couldn’t
be happier than when we go wild in a playground.’
Baas always begins a new work with a deliberately
rough sketch, which he leaves unrefined and aims
to follow as closely as possible when the object is being
made. This isn’t as easy as reproducing straight lines
and hard edges. His designs are often handmade and
labour-intensive. While he aims for a kind of lightness
in his work, he gives it substance by working with
fine materials and professional techniques. ‘Brass and
bronze are timeless,’ he says. ‘They give the works
some weight, not only literally but also metaphorically.’
‘Forever Young’ recalls Baas’ Clay collection,
which propelled him to fame in 2006. Juxtaposing
childlike imagination with grown-up logic, the
furniture appears naive yet perfectly functional.
‘When you are an adult, there are all kinds of rules that
you obey without question,’ Baas says. ‘Children don’t
know these rules. I try to question rules because, while
I think they are practical tools for understanding
things, they are not the absolute reality.’
Despite his Design Academy Eindhoven training
and numerous achievements as a designer, Baas
says he sometimes feels more like an artist who
expresses himself through design: ‘If I have a story
I want to tell, I just do it with an object rather
than in text or in film. I think the objects I’ve made
speak for themselves, but at the same time are also
open to different interpretations.’ ∂
maartenbaas.com; henge07.comLEFT, HENGE CEO PAOLO
TORMENA AND DESIGNER
MAARTEN BAAS AT THE
HENGE FACTORY NEAR
TREVISO WITH A PROTOTYPE
FOR THE SLIDE’S LADDER
AND PIECES OF HENGE’S
‘LIGHT RINGS’
RIGHT, A DETAIL OF THE SLIDE’S
BRONZE LADDER, WHICH WAS
HAND-MOULDED USING A
GROUND-CASTING TECHNIQUE∑ 081
‘We are craving to get away from all the
rules and rationality and be like a child’