Challenge:

 

While studying in Copenhagen, Denmark, I sought to design a comfortable chair that plays with form in a way that combines aspects of both 2D and 3D aesthetics.

 

Result:

 

First, the eyes might recognize these lines as a two-dimensional outline, but eventually we are drawn into the work as a sculpture when the scale of the piece invites us to take a seat. We recognize that this is a cube within a cube, a frame within a frame, and a chair within a chair -- it is seat suspended amid a larger form.

 

Process / Research:

 

I did not properly anticipate how much the hide would stretch with use (even with reinforced canvas on the undersides). The backrest began to push back less and less, which compromised comfort. Later, I needed to provide a concealed plywood backing to improve lumbar support. Now the chair is ready to withstand decades of use and I cannot wait to see how beautifully it ages.I spent four weeks sketching and model-making and another four weeks building. My research involved spending time with Danish furniture texts as well as walking through the furniture museums in Copenhagen, where I could measure the dimensions of famous works that peaked my interest. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed the unique and mutually exclusive ways in which the cowhide and steel compliment each other.