BFA, Studio Art (Sculpture)
Welding Technical Diploma – 2015- Milwaukee Area Technical College
Artist Statement
This series of studio furniture is a living room set designed with a unifying aesthetic. The first piece of the series is a coffee table made of two materials: hard maple and medium density overlayment. There is a hard maple butcher block top, the leg is miter fold and has a mortise and tenon joinery. It is mortised to the painted section which is created from medium density overlayment (MDO). The shelf is a standard hollow-core box that slip fits over a bracket. Every joint on the painted section is mitered and biscuited. The finishes include conversion varnish primer, Martin Senour cross/fire automotive base coat, and a dull-rub conversion varnish.
These end tables are designed with the same common themes, color, and dimensional reputation all as an extension of the coffee table. The idea is that both of these end tables will accompany the same sofa on each side. The butcher block that was used on both end tables were made from the same edge grain lamination. By cutting the slab in half, visual movement was created in the wood grain from one side to the next. One additional feature that was added to the end tables was the use of neodymium rare earth magnets as hidden fasteners where the butcherblock mortises into the dado of the painted section. The dimensions of the end tables are almost identical. The only difference is that the two end tables are dimensionally mirrored with opposing reveals.
Unified dimensional themes invoke rhythm and repetition. When defining imagery with this body of work, mid-century modern furniture design is very influential, although there are some contrasts differ. With contrasting color pallets and fluid movement; the style that can best describe this living room set is contemporary. Common dimensional themes invoke movement and are cohesive.
