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Simon Mattisson focuses on Sweden's Spruce Bark Beetle crisis through ‘Granland’
Granland furniture series by Simon Mattisson
Image: Erik Djurklou
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Simon Mattisson focuses on Sweden's Spruce Bark Beetle crisis through ‘Granland’

The ‘Granland’ furniture series is created in forms evocative of the patterns chiselled out by Spruce Bark Beetles.

by Almas Sadique
Published on : Jun 23, 2022

How often do designers pick up damaged pieces and elements from nature and season out methods and techniques to convert them into usable or ornamental objects? The most common solution for damaged objects and materials is often sought in an alternative material. However, product designer Simon Mattisson decided to pick up barks from Spruce trees damaged by the Spruce Bark Beetle to experiment and develop usable composites. Named after these special trees, his Granland furniture series literally translates to ‘Land of Spruce’, and serves to celebrate these endangered trees. “I am developing a wood composite that contains bark beetle-damaged spruce wood for 3D printing. With the help of this material, I have designed and produced a collection of furniture, inspired by the patterns that the bark beetles leave under the surface of the spruce bark,” says Mattisson about his furniture items that also pose as expressions of perseverance against the ill effects of global warming.

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The forms of the Granland furniture pieces mimic the patterns in which the Spruce beetles hollow out tree trunks Image: Erik Djurklou
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Granland shelves Image: Erik Djurklou

Mattisson’s Granland project started off with the intention of creating innovatively shaped items using new production techniques. By utilising damaged Spruce wood, Mattisson also manages to effectively communicate an ongoing environmental problem through design.

The increase in the number of the Spruce Bark Beetles is a direct consequence of global warming. With an increase in temperature, the infestation period of the beetles extends, resulting thus in the completion of their reproductive cycle within one season, instead of two years. This has led to a significant rise in their population. While a smaller population would earlier only attack weak, damaged, or dead Spruces, their increased population requires more food sources. Consequently, the beetles end up preying on healthier trees. They drill underneath the tree’s bark to lay their eggs. The hatched larvae from these eggs feed on the tree, creating tunnels and thus weakening the trunk. In the past few years, following the 2018 drought in Sweden, the beetles have ravaged entire European forests. In 2020, around 8.2 million cubic meters of Spruce forest were damaged in Sweden alone. With an increase in the temperature every year, the beetles are multiplying exponentially. In the absence of any effective methods or plans to counter the large-scale devastation of this commonly found tree in Sweden, it becomes imperative for people from all industries to devise means and methods to make use of what’s deemed unfit for usage.

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Granland shelves by Simon Mattisson Image: Erik Djurklou

Mattisson’s pieces of furniture help utilise these wood pieces deemed unworthy, thus furthering a tradition of circular design. His animated designs are perfect for drawing attention, both to the concept that guides their creation and to the situation of the Spruce trees. Following the patterns that these beetles follow when digging under the bark, Mattisson has created a series of chairs, tables and shelves that apart from serving their utilitarian purpose, also stand out like lively characters in an indoor space.

The Swedish designer began the process of creating Granland digitally. Using CAD, he recreated the patterns that the beetles dig out inside Spruce tree trunks. After various iterations and experimentations, Mattisson created these 3-D pieces that are evocative of the unique layered and closed patterns created by the beetles. He then produced the final physical pieces using the 3D printing technique, which not only helps in reducing the production of waste but also enables the creation of these unique patterns and forms. In addition to using this damaged material that would otherwise end up being thrown away or burnt, Mattisson’s method of creating Granland furniture also ensures that the items, when damaged or worn out, can be broken down and used to create new pieces.

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Portrait of Simon Mattisson Image: Erik Djurklou

Although created as part of his graduation project, Mattisson intends to take this project forward in order to create newer items and develop more techniques and methods to utilise damaged wood. He will soon showcase his works at two solo exhibitions in Stockholm, drawing more attention to the environmental crisis that has triggered this creation.

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