Minimalist artist shows we don’t need much
Designer creates 175- square- foot retail, living space
PITTSBURGH— John Eastman’s commercial brand is a direct outgrowth of hisminimalist lifestyle.
Hewould seem to be an oddmanout in such an acquisitive society as ours, but having less can be healthier, even liberating. During the pandemic, he has set out to showuswhat that can look like.
In small spaces that bookend the formerRegent SquareTheater in Pittsburgh, he has created a retail store on one side and a living space on the other, Eastmantribe Life + Space.
For thosewhocould not imagine that one could live in an approximately 175- square- foot space, he opened his space to the public inDecember.
APennsylvania native, Eastmanwants people to see howgood design can uplift the look and feel of simple, spare decor. His brand, Eastmantribe, is characterized by rustic materials andwarmcolors. All of thewood items, including furniture, are made fromrepurposed lumber.
One blustery day, he set out a rack of old denim jackets on the sidewalk and settled in for an interview in the store, with light streaming through the glass garage- style door. The essence of the space— as is true of themodel living space— is concrete floor, wood furniture and corrugated steelwalls.
“All three are hard surfaces, so getting awarm, comfortable look takes good design,” he said.
The look is vaguely Southwestern but not derivative of the Santa Fe look thatwas so trendy in the 1980s. The dominant colors are yellow, orange and red.
“Almost all thewood in here used to be something else,” he said, resting his foot on an arrowhead- shaped piece of foundwood on legs. He sculpted it and charred it using the Japanese process called shou sugi ban, which contributes to the piece’s longevity.
Alibrary table on wheels near the garage door windowwas made from an upper crossbeam of a church.
“Many times, you can look at things that are not glamorous but you say, ‘ That looks great,’ ” Eastmansaid.
“I’ve exhibited in galleries and museums, and it’swonderful on multiple levels, but it’s a 30- day turnaround. I had the idea of putting something up that lasted longer.”
In fact, his living space demonstration has led to work designing such spaces for other people.
The living space has corrugated steelwalls that reflect light andthemovement ofpeoplearound the space. Just inside the front door is a drafting table whereEastman often works on ideas. To the right of the drafting table is a plank twin bed whose slats used to be his father’s tomato stakes.
Anold barn door painted orange- red slides open to reveal a bathroom, in which aT- shirt depicting John Lennon hangs across fromthe shower.
“Would I design this for someone? Yes. I’mworking on that,” Eastman said.“We invite people in all the time and sometimes it evolves into a design project.”
The coronavirus pandemic has been a dramatic reminder for many people of what is essential in life, and it isn’t more stuff, he said.
“I came upwith the idea of building spaces asworks of art about four years ago, a space designed to be experienced as such but withworks of art within it aswell.”
He reinvented his own garage and two other people’s garages as living space demonstrations.
Eastmanhas a background in tech, designing andmanaging software projects. In the past 10 years, he has been designing tactile items, including wood furniture, cutting boards and paintings.
He has a stable of artists heworkswith— ceramists, photographers, furniture makers, jewelers and an artisan inNewMexicowho makes leather bags using Southwestern- patterned textiles.
“One of the fun things I do iswork closely with other artists,” he said. “Most of theworks here they’ve done on their own, but it fits into our brand.
I actively curate artists to work withme.”
As for the living space, the immediate sense you get is thatyoucould live in it. It might be too small for most people, but there are apartments roughly that size inNewYork City, at rents that do not reflect the cost that Eastman incurred in assembling this living space.
He said the cost of assembly and all materials, including a newsofa and refrigerator, was between $ 10,000 and $ 12,000.
“You have everything here that is essential,” he said. “Iwanted to showthat this combination of materials canmake a nice, cool space that’s affordable.”