How can we, as artists and designers, apply conceptual approaches to the objects we make and the processes we employ? Furniture and other functional objects not only define how we interact with the world around us, but also frame our social interactions both physically and psychologically. For these reasons, furniture has been used as a vehicle for communicating ideas and carrying meaning beyond its primary function - to communicate personal history, examine and challenge cultural values, and to explore the intersection of art and life.

For this class we will be exploring themes that span and question the boundaries between art, craft, and design. Each project during the semester investigates a conceptual strategy or approach to object making. We will look and consider the work of artists, designers, and furniture makers, and investigate specific works that blur the lines between prescribed and often constrictive categories.