Curious Boym:
Design Works
Constantin Boym

This whimsical book presents the whimsical designs of Constantin Boym and his partner Laurene Leon Boym in all their good humor and raw fun. Like Curious George, Boym finds the extraordinary in the ordinary and makes the mundane into something magical. Though best known for his "monuments to disasters" series (tiny metal souvenirs of buildings like Three Mile Island and the Watergate), Boym has been designing a broad range of products, furniture, and installations for the last 20 years. All of it-from sofas made out of parts from Sears catalogs to dishes modeled after frozen food trays-reveals his delight in design.

Curious Boym explores all the varied mediums that Boym explores. His products for an all-star cast of clients-including Alessi, Droog, Swatch, and Vitra-have won popular and critical acclaim. His Strap Furniture, constructed of wood and strapping tape, was a hit at the 2000 National Design Triennial at the Cooper-Hewitt. And his installation designs include everything from washing machines to chain-link fences.

Here Boym creates a playful, interactive book filled with pop-ups, pull-outs, and other delightful surprises. Peter Hall, editor of Tibor Kalman, offers an insight into Boym's unique world, one that will inspire as much as it entertains. Constantin Boym founded Boym Design Studio (now Boym Partners) in 1986. He and his partner and wife, Laurene Leon Boym, live in New York City.


Constantin Boym founded Boym Design Studio (now Boym Partners) in 1986. He and his partner and wife, Laurene Leon Boym, live in New York City.
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Editorial Reviews

Dwell:
"Through essays, photos, random quotations, and a cocktail coaster, this book presents a fascinating history of a favorite First Family in contemporary design." (March/April 2003)

Souvenirs With an Emotional Cast, The Washington Post:
"The first compendium of the couples work, CURIOUS BOYM, shows typically wry designs: Taxi chairs made of beaded seats; phosphorescent animal rugs that glow in the dark; banal Sears furniture updated to appeal to an urbane clientele." (March 8, 2003)

I.D. Magazine:
". . . a fascinating collision of art and commerce." (January 1, 2003)

Art Journal:
"Highlights the results of (Boym Studio's) investigations into industrial and environmental design. The recent recipient of an I.D. Magazine annual design award, the book is itself a worthy design object, as it apes the look of H.A. Rey's Curious George books of yesteryear." (4/2004)

Print:
"CURIOUS BOYM is anything but a lightweight monograph. The book represents 15 years of imaginative output. . . The volume itself is, fittingly, a curious object, designed by Hjalti Karlsson and Jan Wilker." — Paula Champa (May/June 2003)

Library Journal:
"a delightful look at an idea-driven approach to industrial and product design." (January 2003)

Flaunt:
"The shiny rectangular exterior and colorful interior photos and sketches make this an excellent volume for the coffee table." (December 1, 2002)

Design for Living, 71: Salvation Ceramics, The Independent on Sunday:
". . . in the world of Constantin and Laurene Boym, design is a discipline closer to art than the conveyor-belt creation of ever-shinier objects." (November 3, 2002)

Book News, Inc.:
"For his willingness to experiment, the Curious George monkey of childrens books is the role model for Boym Studios in New York. Many color illustrations showcase Boyms whimsical designs, often from recycled materials, from 1985-2002, for products, furniture, and Monuments of Disaster environments." (March 18, 2003)

Metropolis:
"From the eminently practical (mass-produced plastic houseware for Authentics) to the highly conceptual (the Buildings of Disaster project) thecollected work of the Boym Studio presented here does indeed demonstrate the husband-and-wife team's restless curiosity." (March 2003)

Make do and mend, The Independent Magazine (U.K.):
". . .bright, bold and easy to read. . . with a hole in the cover, a this book belongs to plate, and numerous playful visuals inside, its more childrens book than coffee-table design tome." (December 2002)

About a Boym, ReadyMade:
"The book is as playful as the work it showcases, with major divisions introduced by die-cut inserts and foldouts. . . With his equal esteem for Americana's sacred and profane, we can only guess what sort of trouble curious Boym will stir up next." — Jill Hudes (Winter 2002/2003)

Met Home:
"[This] handsome book highlights the work of Boym studios." (November/December 2002)

Welcome to the Monkey House, The New York Times:
"The Boyms first book, CURIOUS BOYM, published this week, shares its view of the world with Curious George, the childrens book monkey, who is a favorite of Bobbys [the Boyms son]. As designers, the Boyms would claim to be just two more curious characters monkeying with familiar objects and getting into trouble for it." (November 28, 2002)

Famous for his failures, The Art Newspaper:
"CURIOUS BOYM is anything but the lament of a misunderstood designer... Boym Studio is a successful and closely watched workshop largely because [the Boyms] have put the achievement of their own standards first and market considerations second." (December 2002)

Bookwatch:
"Boym finds many unusual twists in ordinary life, and has the ability to take contemporary trends, work facets, and modern living and blend them in pictures both surprising and thought-provoking." (April 2003)

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