Art and furniture design have been closely linked for a very
long time (e.g. Rietveld’s ‘Mondrian’ chair, or Dali’s ‘Mae West’ installation
featuring a sofa in the shape of lips). The permeability of the two cultures
goes beyond referencing each other, and has become innate.
Here are a few examples of creative cross-contamination…
Ron Arad’s ‘Spring’ collection has the bright colors,
rounded shapes and cartoonishness of Keith Haring’s street to gallery art.
Much like Theo Jansen’s moving sculptures, Zanotta’s ‘Reale’
table seems like it might go strolling down the beach with only the wind in its
structure.
Comic book clouds are printed in small dots on the top of
Nendo’s ‘Cloud’ table, which is reminiscent of the pop-art works of Roy
Lichtenstein (in a quiet Japanese sort of way).
You can somewhat recreate the reflective nymphea-like effect
of Buren’s Grand Palais installation in your living room, thanks to Nendo’s
‘Pond’ tables which even include the artist’s famous stripe (although not at
8.7cm wide).
Made of hundreds of little rings stuck together to create
the shell of a piece of furniture, the pieces of the ‘Engineering Temporality’
collection by Tuomas Markunpoika Tolvanen bare a strong resemblance with the
works of Tara Donovan, who covers large walls with polystyrene cups, metal
rings or cut straws to impactful, organic effect.
With functionality being the only separating factor, Duchamp
and Castiglioni’s ready-mades directly correlate to each other. Castiglioni
assembles three pieces to create a seat, while Duchamp adds a wheel to a seat
to create art.
Moroso’s ‘Muebles Amorosos’ armchair looks like it’s evolved
from Sol Lewitt’s primordial soup.
By Claire Toussaint
