My first act was to “make a chair”—as if “making a chair” were the foundational act of all furniture design.
Why should the mere act of resting our posteriors upon it make an object so significant?
In our Western societies, we certainly spend a great deal of time in chairs—working, writing, eating, talking…
The chair serves as the prosaic support for countless daily activities.
In other societies, the chair does not exist at all, or else it exists solely as a symbol of power.
My chairs occupy a space between these two functions: while they are, as they should be, objects for practical use, they also carry
a symbolic weight —expressing choices that go beyond the simple act of sitting.
Admittedly, the materials and techniques employed make them heavy; they can rust, and they are cold to the touch.
Furthermore, unlike the bed, the metal chair is not particularly common in our culture.
Yet, compared to a wooden chair, I discovered that metal allows for a gesture that is simple and pure—the materialization of
an almost calligraphic sign in space, an apparent lightness of “writing,”
where technique becomes fluid in the service of an idea.
And, when it comes down to it—for an idea—it is actually quite comfortable.
Take a seat; you might be surprised…
Text written in 2001 to celebrate iron chairs
