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 facilitate many activities in our daily lives. They 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. It has the capacity to communicate personal history, examine and challenge cultural values, and presents unique opportunities to explore the intersection of art and life. Can the function of utilitarian objects, the histories of their making, and the social role of domestic objects give us pathways to envision and create “conceptual" objects?

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. This studio functions as an experimental laboratory where we will research a variety of approaches, materials, methods, and aesthetic choices. 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.

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