3 minute read
Going to great Paynes
Going to great
Paynes Lockdown One was pretty life changing for all of us, but for talented abstract artist Carl Koch it was definitely a light bulb moment!
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With lots of extra time on his hands, he re-discovered his love for clay creations and artworks – after properly being introduced to the enthralling medium of ceramics in 2010 while completing his BA at Central Saint Martins.
It now dovetails beautifully with his Paynes Grey studio (established in 2016) which supplies high end figurative and sculptural pieces to London’s most luxurious homes and addresses, who desire standout artworks that have their own presence.
Carl explains: “Paynes Grey is going really well and I relish working with the likes of luxury interior designers 1508 London, supplying bespoke artworks for their show homes and penthouses, plus the Mandarin Oriental in Los Angeles who asked me to create art packages for their fully catered apartments and public spaces.
Luxurious and historical brand
“When aspirational shirt makers Turnbull & Asser switched up their Mayfair premises into a galleryinspired space, I kicked off the conversion and had a small exhibition there – and that was another super luxurious and historical brand to be associated with.
Carl’s ceramic creations are meticulously hand crafted and highly unusual, utilising thousands of individually rolled cut and dipped ceramic tiles, which are set and finished off in the highest quality (Larson-Juhl of course) canvas float frame.
He says: “The overall effect is to create pieces that have knitted together and are imbued with a calming presence, as a response almost to the uncertainty of the current time. The many single parts come together to tell a story and the eye-catching framed finish is the perfect conclusion”.
Expert knowledge
As demand from global designers soared, Carl (now based in Towcester, Northamptonshire) initially used another Larson-Juhl customer – Artisan Framing in Maidenhead – to handle the mouldings, but with the owner passing on his expert knowledge of the best suppliers, he recently started ordering from Larson-Juhl direct.
Carl adds: “Stefan’s recommendation was good enough for me, but I’ve been so impressed with the quality and variety of the Larson-Juhl mouldings and mountboards, as they really are a supplier for all ages, and ordering through the website is very convenient and slick.
“My more high-end designer clients tend to prefer black and white frames because they’re timeless, classic and understated, but my personal preferences are the foil frames and the metal finishes, as for me they help echo the rhythms of nature in my work. But my absolute favourite is the super thin LJE float moulding. It’s perfect for my ceramic works and the canvas box effect really optimises the aesthetic.
www.paynesgrey.co.uk/
www.carlkoch.co.uk/
www.instagram.com/carlkoch/
Super helpful
“Area sales manager John Green has been super helpful too and is a lovely chap to deal with, plus I was already on the mailing list for 4walls and always look forward to reading it, as it’s such an interesting and well put together publication – so when he said I could feature in this issue, that was really cool.”
Carl is also a big fan of Larson-Juhl’s ever expanding sustainable range, which carries only the best frame mouldings and mountboards certified to FSC® and PEFC standards. All products are lumbered and crafted in compliance with sustainable forestry policies and are also fully recyclable.
He concludes: “I hail from South Africa but emigrated to the UK in 1996 aged eight, so maybe my love of the natural world and its enduring importance harks back to then. I always go for the greenest options and find my customers are starting to specify that more as well, so I will always push it as much as I can. The Glacier mountboards are especially good and look stunning.”
