July 3rd, 2008.
Vicente took Jonathan and I on a trip over the Mexican border to Ojinaga to look for fabrics to upholster the bed. Going over the border was a great idea. Huge dry unrolling landscape on the way and though similar straight lined architecture to Texas, a fat contrast in the wealth of bright colours and visible poverty on arrival.
With only a small array of imported synthetic fabrics to look at, we returned empty handed but the colour thing was imprinted and yellow came through as the one.
A month later, the yellow choice for the Plexiglas capps could not be achieved so opting for clear Plexi left the mattress entirely for yellow. However, online research to use a localized recycled/plant based fabric proved to be unproductive/not affordable as well as impossible for Kaffe to source a something that it was not possible to touch. The fabric had to come from London.
Disappointing. However, arriving at The Cloth House, Soho (where Kaffe had sourced the mouse stretch wool for the original Bed) there was the exact colour she needed, and of felt. Jay helped lay out lengths to establish whether this much yellow would be too much to look at let alone lie relaxed on, and when he was told what this was for said:
” A Bed ? ….ah……. a Sound Bed? …. mmmmm…. nice………, Marfa?…..ah…………. that’s not anything to do with Donald Judd is it?”
” Well no, not directly ” I said, ” the show is in the same town and Judd installed himself there in the 70’s and set up the Chinati foundation which I guess has inspired this extraordinary art oasis ” and he said ” Oh well that’s funny. Donald Judd is a big inspiration and I am right now having a replica Judd Bed built in my house in Minorca, ”
So there is a link between this felt and Marfa after all. Nice. (Jay is the senior buyer for the Cloth House and they make and die their own felt)”
The fabric was bought and shipped and Katherine in Marfa lined and stitched it into shape, with the cushions wrapped envelope style. True Marfa quality. Yes, she’s a beauty.