40 u n d e r 40
Lara Knutson B. Arch. ’99, architecture, M.I.D. ’11, industrial design Industrial Designer After a decade as a practicing architect, Knutson switched gears and is now designing furniture, lighting, and jewelry, with a bent towards Photo: Armando Rafael Moutela
exploring the inherent beauty of materials. Knutson’s Soft Glass Basket is included in Craft Futures: 40 under 40, a traveling exhibition currently on view at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., which recently acquired her reflective glass fabric. Knutson’s work is also held in the permanent collection of the Corning Museum of Glass, and her jewelry designs are carried by a number of museum stores.
What do you consider your greatest achievement so far? One of my material experiments with reflective glass fabric was acquired by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum this summer. What do you consider the key to your success? Following my curiosity without judgment. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? An architect. Growing up at the beach around beach houses being built was a lot of fun. My parents used to take me into buildings under
construction and I just loved it. What is your favorite place on the Pratt campus? The lawn. The campus has become really beautiful compared to what it was like in the early ’90s. Who is your favorite Pratt instructor? Bruce Hannah. He is really funny, and he never made me feel wrong for pursuing my interest in reflective glass fabric and allowed me to get into the depth of this obsession.
Josh Koury B.F.A. '01, Film faculty, Film/Video Documentary Filmmaker A Pratt faculty member, Koury has worked on several projects with fellow alumnus Myles Kane, most recently co-directing Journey to Planet X, a documentary that debuted at the Tribeca Film Festival and was hailed by Criticwire as “one of the best indie movies of 2012.” The film is currently traveling to film festivals around the world. It was recently picked up as an Epix Original Documentary and will be broadcast in early 2013. With Kane, Koury co-founded the Brooklyn Underground Film Festival in 2002 and served as programming director for four years.
Photo: René Pérez
What do you consider the key to your success? I think success has less to do with natural talent and much more to do with personal determination and surrounding yourself with the right people. It’s important to work really hard, possibly to the point of obsession, and to be open to learning as much as you can from your fellow artists and peers. When did you know you wanted to be a filmmaker? I made my first film at 16, a comedic narrative. It wasn’t until college that I started making documentaries and that’s where I’ve been ever since. What is your favorite place on the Pratt campus? The film wing in the ARC Building. It’s dank and atrocious but it’s been a film hub of sorts for me over the years. I’ve spent so much time being creative in that spot that I’ve gained a bit of affection for it.
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