Arts Thread

Maxwell Fertik
masters of industrial design

Rhode Island School of Design

Graduates: 2023

Specialisms: Industrial Design / Furniture / Sculpture

My location: Providence Rhode Island, United States

maxwell-fertik ArtsThread Profile
Rhode Island School of Design

Maxwell Fertik

maxwell-fertik ArtsThread Profile

First Name: Maxwell

Last Name: Fertik

University / College: Rhode Island School of Design

Course / Program: masters of industrial design

Graduates: 2023

Specialisms: Industrial Design / Furniture / Sculpture

My Location: Providence Rhode Island, United States

Website: Click To See Website

About

designer and maker. engaged with postindustrial futures and resource engagement.

There is no such thing as an undisrupted ecosystem. Every inch of the planet is impacted by industrial development and its chemical legacy has mutated the soil and water. As a response, this thesis is designed to promote abundant over extractive resources and visualize a post-industrial reality. It consists of a series of objects, writing and design research on the relationship of industry and ecosystem. In many ways it is a playbook++, laying out possible strategies or “plays’’ for making do with what exists around us amid collapse. Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) (虎杖), a plant that grows in the most degraded landscapes, is the central case study for this project. By making knotweed objects at three different scales, (silverware, table and raft) and discussing the xenophobic language around invasive species, this project investigates resilience and local resourcefulness within a post-industrial future.