SPIKE PILLOW SCULPTURE - BONE LEATHER
My name is Lex Lee and this is the story of Spike.
I designed this pillow when I was a junior interior designer in 2013. It was a reaction to all of the purchase orders I had to manage for custom throw pillows on all our projects. The fabric selection, the fabric placement, the trim selection, the trim application, the labor, the filling, the everything. A simple 16” x 16” throw pillow has so much unseen work behind it and, frankly, I was disgusted by the whole thing. I wanted to make something look uninviting and weapon-like for the sofa. Naturally, I made something that is even more involved, more complicated, more laborious. One thing I’ve learned about my artistic genius, is that it rarely appears as artistic genius.
I entered the third Spike ever made into a design competition. The first two were so horrible I don’t want to think about them. But the third proudly sat atop one of my favorite chair designs. We took home the big prize and and we also took home lots of questions about where someone could buy Spike.
Thus began my mission to make Spike available for people beyond me. A Spike pillow for all. In 2013, I had scarce sewing ability and even scarcer negotiating ability so I really relied on people taking a liking to me and my silly little projects.
The first and only Spike quote I received in those early years was $250 per pillow. I was so shocked that I stopped the project right then and there. I was no better than those darned custom throw pillows. No one is going to buy them at $500 a piece I thought to myself.
I would make a few here and there because I loved them so much but the more I made them, the more people asked me about them. I always tried to change the subject because I never wanted to talk about how much I would sell them for. If you’re following along, this is actually the story of one artist’s understanding of worth.
At one point I made it onto Design Milk with my furniture and my Spikes and I was absolutely thrilled. I had achieved something I had put into my journals! I manifested an accolade! Turns out you can’t eat your accolades. It translated into zero sales and I sheepishly retreated into the void once more. But every few years I peek out and try something new. One year I tried to patent the design at the suggestion of a boyfriend. It was denied for not being “unique enough” but not before I put a few thousand into the the endeavor. I canned the project again and then shortly after, my boyfriend canned me. But certainly not because I was not “unique enough.”
I sold a small batch of brushed linen spike sculptures in 2018 with some degree of success. Around $300-$500 each. I sold off the stock I had left in 2020 during the lockdown for almost nothing. Whatever I made from those, I donated to the variety of funds that popped up during those insane American months. I was drinking a lot during that time so I truly do not know who received the money. But I know it was not me.
The only one I had left was a brown leather Spike that I had my dear friend Cesar make at some point in this years-long pursuit. I had only made a handful of leather ones, I almost always opted for linen. And I never wanted to sell it because I saw some serious flaws with it. Also because it was the last of its kind in my possession.
This leather Spike survived all of my vagabonding and was with me in LA one day when I was holding a furniture sale. A lovely mustachioed young buck came into my apartment and started sitting on all my furniture and turning on and off all my lights. He eyeballed Spike who was not for sale and asked me the price. I told Mustache the same story I’m telling you and he gave me $400 for the leather Spike and said “if you ever make these again, only do leather.” I knew I would never do them again. I thanked him for the $400.
Now here is where things get less sulky and more life-affirming, I promise. But I needed you to feel just as depressed as I did so that when I ask you for $1000 for this sculpture, you won’t give me such a shocked look. Spoiler alert, the market price is $1000 for my finest Spike.
Cesar Galindo was born in Guatemala long before I was born in the Valley. However different our lives started, we both ended up in the same custom upholstery shop by 2014. I managed his projects, he executed them—no matter how challenging—with ease. If Cesar couldn’t do it, it could not be done. And it probably should not be done, I’ll add. We became friends and when I left the shop years later, I had him take on small sewing and upholstery jobs for me. He was not the original one to make Spike, but he knew about it and knew how we could do it better. We’ve perfected it together at his home workshop in the Valley. The only thing we haven’t perfected is my timing. I had us take on this most recent batch of all-leather Spikes in July. In the Valley. If you are not familiar, the Valley gets triple-digit heat in the summer and we do not have air conditioning in that workshop.
So yes, our sweat has gone into these sculptures. And yes, many tears too. As Cesar puts it, “every pillow we make becomes a therapy session.” We talk about our emotionally absent fathers. We talk about our emotionally absent government. I use 50 year old scissors to cut the leather—we have no presses or lasers to machine cut anything. I don’t know how old his sewing machine is, but that’s about as high tech as we get. Every pillow sculpture takes about a day and a half to make. We aren’t winning any awards for speed. In fact, I had to open a freshly completed Spike because I was afraid I had just sewn a screwdriver into it. Yes, I need a screwdriver to help make these things, but no I won’t tell you why. But we laugh a lot. We drink a lot of water. We drink a lot of smoothies made by his wonderful wife. We forget we are working.
But I do not forget that I am selling a piece of me, my heart and my mind. You are purchasing my past genius and my insanity. You are investing in my future genius and my insanity.
You are allowing me to hang out Cesar in his workshop and keep going.
TL;DR 13” diameter, 2” spikes, overall ~15”, 2 lbs in weight. Some are cowhide, some are pigskin. Polyester filling. Not a toy. Spot clean only. As long as Cesar and I are alive, you can get your spike repaired for free within reason. (You know darn well what reason is!)
Thank you,
Lex MF Lee
My name is Lex Lee and this is the story of Spike.
I designed this pillow when I was a junior interior designer in 2013. It was a reaction to all of the purchase orders I had to manage for custom throw pillows on all our projects. The fabric selection, the fabric placement, the trim selection, the trim application, the labor, the filling, the everything. A simple 16” x 16” throw pillow has so much unseen work behind it and, frankly, I was disgusted by the whole thing. I wanted to make something look uninviting and weapon-like for the sofa. Naturally, I made something that is even more involved, more complicated, more laborious. One thing I’ve learned about my artistic genius, is that it rarely appears as artistic genius.
I entered the third Spike ever made into a design competition. The first two were so horrible I don’t want to think about them. But the third proudly sat atop one of my favorite chair designs. We took home the big prize and and we also took home lots of questions about where someone could buy Spike.
Thus began my mission to make Spike available for people beyond me. A Spike pillow for all. In 2013, I had scarce sewing ability and even scarcer negotiating ability so I really relied on people taking a liking to me and my silly little projects.
The first and only Spike quote I received in those early years was $250 per pillow. I was so shocked that I stopped the project right then and there. I was no better than those darned custom throw pillows. No one is going to buy them at $500 a piece I thought to myself.
I would make a few here and there because I loved them so much but the more I made them, the more people asked me about them. I always tried to change the subject because I never wanted to talk about how much I would sell them for. If you’re following along, this is actually the story of one artist’s understanding of worth.
At one point I made it onto Design Milk with my furniture and my Spikes and I was absolutely thrilled. I had achieved something I had put into my journals! I manifested an accolade! Turns out you can’t eat your accolades. It translated into zero sales and I sheepishly retreated into the void once more. But every few years I peek out and try something new. One year I tried to patent the design at the suggestion of a boyfriend. It was denied for not being “unique enough” but not before I put a few thousand into the the endeavor. I canned the project again and then shortly after, my boyfriend canned me. But certainly not because I was not “unique enough.”
I sold a small batch of brushed linen spike sculptures in 2018 with some degree of success. Around $300-$500 each. I sold off the stock I had left in 2020 during the lockdown for almost nothing. Whatever I made from those, I donated to the variety of funds that popped up during those insane American months. I was drinking a lot during that time so I truly do not know who received the money. But I know it was not me.
The only one I had left was a brown leather Spike that I had my dear friend Cesar make at some point in this years-long pursuit. I had only made a handful of leather ones, I almost always opted for linen. And I never wanted to sell it because I saw some serious flaws with it. Also because it was the last of its kind in my possession.
This leather Spike survived all of my vagabonding and was with me in LA one day when I was holding a furniture sale. A lovely mustachioed young buck came into my apartment and started sitting on all my furniture and turning on and off all my lights. He eyeballed Spike who was not for sale and asked me the price. I told Mustache the same story I’m telling you and he gave me $400 for the leather Spike and said “if you ever make these again, only do leather.” I knew I would never do them again. I thanked him for the $400.
Now here is where things get less sulky and more life-affirming, I promise. But I needed you to feel just as depressed as I did so that when I ask you for $1000 for this sculpture, you won’t give me such a shocked look. Spoiler alert, the market price is $1000 for my finest Spike.
Cesar Galindo was born in Guatemala long before I was born in the Valley. However different our lives started, we both ended up in the same custom upholstery shop by 2014. I managed his projects, he executed them—no matter how challenging—with ease. If Cesar couldn’t do it, it could not be done. And it probably should not be done, I’ll add. We became friends and when I left the shop years later, I had him take on small sewing and upholstery jobs for me. He was not the original one to make Spike, but he knew about it and knew how we could do it better. We’ve perfected it together at his home workshop in the Valley. The only thing we haven’t perfected is my timing. I had us take on this most recent batch of all-leather Spikes in July. In the Valley. If you are not familiar, the Valley gets triple-digit heat in the summer and we do not have air conditioning in that workshop.
So yes, our sweat has gone into these sculptures. And yes, many tears too. As Cesar puts it, “every pillow we make becomes a therapy session.” We talk about our emotionally absent fathers. We talk about our emotionally absent government. I use 50 year old scissors to cut the leather—we have no presses or lasers to machine cut anything. I don’t know how old his sewing machine is, but that’s about as high tech as we get. Every pillow sculpture takes about a day and a half to make. We aren’t winning any awards for speed. In fact, I had to open a freshly completed Spike because I was afraid I had just sewn a screwdriver into it. Yes, I need a screwdriver to help make these things, but no I won’t tell you why. But we laugh a lot. We drink a lot of water. We drink a lot of smoothies made by his wonderful wife. We forget we are working.
But I do not forget that I am selling a piece of me, my heart and my mind. You are purchasing my past genius and my insanity. You are investing in my future genius and my insanity.
You are allowing me to hang out Cesar in his workshop and keep going.
TL;DR 13” diameter, 2” spikes, overall ~15”, 2 lbs in weight. Some are cowhide, some are pigskin. Polyester filling. Not a toy. Spot clean only. As long as Cesar and I are alive, you can get your spike repaired for free within reason. (You know darn well what reason is!)
Thank you,
Lex MF Lee