A gathering of individuals in a group setting is governed by a complex system of rules and expectations that are never formally acknowledged. Specific rules apply to public spaces vs. private spaces. When a private space is intruded upon, or when a private activity intrudes into a public space there is an upset in the fragile balance of social order. Humans, like any other creature, have very specific ways of acting when they are surrounded by strangers. A bench or a chair is an inanimate object that forces interaction among strangers. As one person approaches a park bench that is occupied by another individual, how does the situation resolve itself? Facilitating circumstances that blur the boundaries between public and private, this body of work is intended to make one aware of the bizarre factors that determine our behaviors in a group setting.

The chair, above all other furniture forms, is a three dimensional object in the purist sense. Its depth becomes perceptible as you plunge your body into the seat that embraces the anthropomorphic shape of the human feature. Like many pieces of furniture, these steel chairs and benches begin their lives in a two dimensional realm and evolve piece by piece into objects with substance, depth, and volume. Transferring rough sketches to plate steel using computer design software, I cut, weld, and grind, the pieces together—transforming what was once a collection of two dimensional shapes into an object rich with three dimensions. For me, calculating, observing and participating in this metamorphic progression is the most rewarding aspect of the creative process.

THE CHAIR:

The chair, above all other furniture forms, is a three dimensional object in the purist sense. Its depth becomes perceptible as you plunge your body into the seat that embraces the anthropomorphic shape of the human feature. Like many pieces of furniture, these steel chairs begin their life in a two dimensional realm and evolve piece by piece into an object with substance, depth, and volume. Transferring cardboard templates to plate steel, I cut, weld, and grind, the pieces together—transforming what was once a collection of two dimensional shapes into an object rich with three dimensions. For me, calculating, observing and participating in this metamorphic progression is the most rewarding aspect of the creative process.

THE CRANK:

Furniture is an interactive medium. We push, pull, turn, and in this case crank in order to access interior spaces. Engaging in these subtle actions is a meditative process that awakens our senses to the importance of not only the furniture, but also the object that is kept securely inside. Facilitating this meditative ritual through unique and imaginative interactions is the goal of my kinetic case pieces. I intend to offer a memorable experience that engages the senses, the mind and the element of anticipation.