MINI-A-CHAIR SHOW

This little exhibition is dedicated to small chairs. These are the seats that inspire the active imagination to place the little person into them. As children our fantasies are placed on them like imaginary friends or dolls that need a place to sit. An empty chair often has an unknown or unseen occupant creating a story or holding a place in time.

The history of miniature chairs may have been originally as furniture in children’s play houses. As the craft developed they were used to be placed into portable display boxes as examples of a chair crafter’s wares and skills. A chair could then travel easily with the salesman. The model craft continues in the studios of designers with myriad examples of sleek and modern designs in miniature forms.

RED & BLUE CHAIR - Gerrit Rietveld - 1918

For this show, however, we’ve invited a group of friends and artists to create works on the subject of chairs and extend the function into the imaginary, the humorous and the profound realms of chairs. Many people responded from around our immediate neighborhood to remote parts of the country and the world. Our little gallery is now bursting with little chairs arranged on the display shelves and on the walls. The works are almost like aspects of personality, varied and exuberant, some funny with inspiration seemingly coming from a title and then spreading to the four legs, seat and back rest of the tiny chair. Others crafted simply from the closest thing to the hands of the maker… like the bowl of corn chips or the little piece of wire. It’s always amazing how sometimes the mind directs the hands and other moments when the hands take over the mind in a furious revolt of just making. Most creative endeavors are like an internal contest for dominance over who gets to have the most fun....mind or body.

The opening for the show packed the gallery. There are 109 works in the show by twenty four artists. It’s actually pretty easy to fill the small space with small art and curious people. We have recently expanded the gallery into the greenhouse as well since the plants were moved to the better climate outside for the summer. Despite the late afternoon rain drizzling on the gallery roof and garden of umbrellas, the show drew an appreciative audience.

MINI-A-CHAIR EXHIBITION ARTISTS

ANKE SAUER - BRUCE GEORGE - CAROL BACHMANN - DOUG PRINCE - EVERT BROWN - GEORGE PETERS - JIM WALKER - JOANNE GRILLO - JOHN ADAMS - KATHLEEN MARTINDALE - KISA SAUER - LOUISE PADDEN - MELANIE WALKER - NIKO HALE - OLIVER HART - PATRICK NAGATANI - SANDY HALE - SEI YASUDA HALE - SHERRY HART - SUSAN COOPER - TED RINGER - TIM HAVENS - TOM LYON - TOM STEENLAND - ADREAN ARMSTRONG & ANONYMOUS

Here are a few images from the Mini-A-Chair show...

Inspiration - Sherry Hart - glass, 1/2"cedar chip chair

Chair of Nails - George Peters - wood, nails

Yoga Man Chair and Bench - Tom Lyon - wood

Triscuit Chairs - Tom Lyon
processed wheat crackers & cereal, wire 

Hairloom Chair - Louise Padden - human hair

High Chair - George Peters
vine wood

Floating Fan - Doug Prince - film transparencies, plastic view box

Study - Melanie Walker
view inside the peep box 

Some Assembly Required - Melanie Walker - plastic, paper

Raven Chair Nevermore - Tom Lyon - paper, tape, wire

Lawn Chair - Melanie Walker + George Peters
moss, wire, sorghum, stone

Type of Chair - Louise Padden + Evert Brown - digital print

Home Seat Home - Melanie Walker

Thorn Chair - George Peters - rose stems & thorns
photo by Melanie Walker

Mini Favela Chair - George Peters - wood
after Fernando and Humberto Campana Favela chair - Brazil

Blue Chairs - Susan Cooper - wood, oil paint

Ying-Bang - Tom Steenland - wood, bullet

Lemonie Chair - Melanie Walker + George Peters - plastic lemon slices

Self Portrait - paper fold chair - Tim Havens

Wing Side Seat - Tom Lyon
wood, aluminum, wire

Champagne Table Setting Chairs - anonymous

For more images from the exhibit go to the Gallery O Flikr slide show and even more pictures of miniature chair examples.