Many works of art have compelling origin stories, but in the case of the Ball Chair, Terry Frost recalls its genesis cavalierly: “I had the ball in my hand and thought, ‘This is kind of cool, I wonder what I can do with it?'”
And when a concept comes to Frost, an architect by day and designer by choice, he gets an urge to start realizing it. It was as simple as that for this playful chair design.
The chair is made of “toy balls that every kid once played with” and a powder-coated aluminum frame. Frost says sitting in it is like getting a massage. “I’ve sat in it for hours at a time and found it very comfortable. It’s simply a matter of knowing the materials and knowing how to use them.”
Frost keeps an open mind when it comes to design and is always coming up with innovative ideas, despite what he sees as the restrictive parameters of a conservative market.
He has worked in Edmonton as an architect since 1972 and owns the firm Terry Frost Designer Architect Ltd.To stay fresh in his work, he is open to the world of industrial design and public art, and has contributed such works to the city, such as the waterfall in Churchill Square and the DNA helix above the University of Alberta Hospital’s glass ceiling.
As for his future goals in the industry, Frost says he doesn’t have a mission. “I just love design and looking at good design. I like being contemporary, staying up on what’s going on and coming up with fresh new ideas.”
