Extreme Furniture

DES OB 3145 001

Faculty: Erik Newman

Extreme Furniture is intended to stretch the definition of furniture: What it is, how it is used, how it is made, and how furniture interacts with the world. This class also asks why: Why is furniture made like it is? Why can't furniture be completely different from what already exists? This class requires a basic knowledge of fabrication and workshop skills; specific design and construction problems will be solved by instructor/student/shop staff interaction. Students will explore a spectrum of furniture ranging from vernacular to virtual, craft-made to mass production. Experiments with materials, kinetics, and narratives will inform student projects. Among the artists and designers explored are Ant Farm, David Byrne, Van Lieshout, Simparch, and Max Lamb. Innovations in techniques and materials beyond current furniture practices and environmental impacts of activities are also examined. Students will produce a unique furniture object that addresses self-developed design and artistic criteria. Materials used will vary depending upon individual projects.