WITH WHITE DIRT
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH WHITE DIRT
We first learned about White Dirt through friends in the industry, and became familiar with their works’ unusual sculptural forms. Their work compelled us to reach out and visit their studio in San Francisco’s Hunters Point neighborhood.
After two decades of running her art studio, Dana Harel founded White Dirt in 2020 with the mission to create objects made for everyday use that still maintain the allure of art. The core of their explorations are informed by storytelling and curiosity. They embrace the raw qualities of the materials they work with as they transform them. Each collection seeks to balance tradition, history, and contemporary vernacular.
Dana Harel, Founder of White Dirt
Q: How does your architectural background inform your practice?
As an architecture student, I always created buildings that were rhetorical not functional, projects that offered narratives and experiences rather than functional solutions. At the same time, I am inspired by architects like Lina Bobardi and Carlo Scarpa for example, who were very fluid in their practice, designing buildings, furniture, hardware, and lighting. Working in a multidisciplinary way excites me and my studio today is a direct continuation of my school days. I don’t ever need to get super real with my work, most often it can stay in the dream world— Architecture remains the springboard for me, while the rest of my creative process is very instinctive.
Q: What is the common thread, if any, that can be seen throughout your designs?
The common thread that has been consistently apparent in my work is how I incorporate elements of the human form along with architectural fragments. Every project has informed the next one, similar to the game “pass the message” in a circle of people, each phase loses some elements and gains new ones, contributing to unexpected yet somewhat predictable outcomes.
Q: What is the effect that you hope your designs will have on people?
I am attracted to ambivalence. When an art piece has a push-and-pull effect I am engaged, curious, and hooked to find out more. I am hoping to create objects that intrigue and invite participation and dialog, though not necessarily in an easy way.
Q: How do you recognize the moment to stop - the moment when your design is just right?
My starting point is that the work is always imperfect. It’s not science it is art, and as such completion rests in the gray areas. However, I do have some practices in place that help me determine how far I can push a piece and when to let go. For example, if I have a deadline and limited time to spare, I will reach out to a few trusted creative individuals for input, among them is my sixteen year old daughter. They will often ask me thought provoking questions to help illuminate my blind spots and speed up the process. When I am lucky and in the right zone, I intuitively know when to stop.
Q: Which living person do you most admire and why?
Gaetano Pesce, the Italian-born industrial designer, artist, and architect is a spirited creator with a deep personality and a trail-blazing attitude. He seems to have zero setbacks. His practice and ethos are grounded deeply in humanism with an undeniable effect of playfulness, innovation, and overall explosive energy that is contagious and inspiring. In a way it is inimitable.
Q: What is the most treasured object in your own home?
A vase and a bowl my husband made when he was a kid, that my mother-in-law has saved over the years. We get to use them daily, and they are very special.
Q: What are your aspirations for the next 3-5 years?
I have a multiple-fold answer to that, for example, I’d like to do more site-specific installations. I am so touched by fashion brands that extend their creative practice into their retail stores which combine art, design, and architecture to delight and inspire.
I’d also like to revisit architecture in a reverse process. My fantasy is to design an object, for example, a table, and then imagine the house around it, similar to the process of Valentine Schlegel’s work in the seventies.
Q: What motto or mantra do you try to live by?
I am a nurturer and a giver. It’s not necessarily a motto, but I try to surround myself with loving people. I trust that they’ll elevate, challenge, and empower me and by extension my family.
