Marlon Darbeau gives new life to the ‘peerha’

Darbeau, 35, is the creative director of Abovegroup, which deals with branding and re-branding. In 2009, Darbeau was inspired to think creatively about the peerha and that flight of creative design has taken him to the Museum of Art and Design in New York where he is showing his work under the title “Peera” – he prefers this spelling and pronunciation because it rhymes with “geera” he says.

“I am often referred to as an artist, but I am a designer,” Darbeau told Good Living magazine. “I utilise design, not only as a means of selling a product, but I also use design to depict aspects of society and comment on issues.”

Darbeau held his first exhibit entitled “On Route: Of Bridges and Barriers” at Alice Yard in Woodbrook. He constructed a winding pathway complete with road signs and road blocks. He explained that he was looking to deal with the whole notion of barriers that exist.

“I created visual cautions that mimicked concrete mediums and caution columns in orange, black and white to address the issue of cautionary development. I used that as a jump-off to show that we need to be kind of sensitive as we navigate through life. I used the “humps ahead” symbol to highlight teenage pregnancy and floods.”

Darbeau then designed a multi-purpose sculptural product called the VERB that transforms into different objects. So in one instant the VERB can serve as a desktop, bench or storage unit and in another mode it can be a lamp, a toy or a piece of art.

“This project further investigates the idea of convergence, the utilisation of different modes of making. At one moment it acts as a beautiful object to look at and at another time it is something useful.” In February 2009, the VERB was exhibited at the Becca Art Gallery in New Orleans. His “Playful Things” exhibition at the 2009 Erotic Art Week was a sultry installation of plush pillows with images that conjure up ambiguous associations. “It was set up in a space with the right kind of lighting. It was a sensual floating idea of how we perceive people and things.”

The art for 12 The Band’s first CD, was created by Darbeau. It is a clever album cover that unfolds to something reminiscent of an accordion or harmonium.

“The aesthetic and attractive elements of art merge with the practical uses of a product to create a design that is innovative, alluring and functional. My designs are always very sharp and pretty because my work is meticulous.”

Darbeau enjoys rethinking and redesigning mundane everyday items. He re-created the common cocoyea broom for a project called “Switch.” The brooms were fastened with high fashion leather corsets. These luxury brooms sold for $150 each. “It is the whole idea of taking very simple, traditional things and reconfiguring how they are viewed. It is not only changing the value of them, but also the perception of them.”

The “Peera” project began in October 2009. This multipurpose stool has been a staple in his father’s tool shop. It is used as a seat and a work table or as a stepping stool.