Tuesday, August 3, 2010

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.  





1 comment:

  1. I was away, darn I missed it.I meant to submit a chair.It looks soooo cool.Tom Lyon's chairs are wonderful! They are all wonderful and Melanie & George you guy's are terrific! Thanks for being my friends.xoxoxoxoxox,Ginger

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