Malcolm Majer
Name of Work: Bench 16
Steel, aluminum / 48"w x 18"d x 30"hAbout the Work:
Bench 16 was conceived of before coronavirus existed, and its initial intention was, like all my furniture work, to explore a rigid formal language that I feel drawn to within the parameters of a seating piece. This body of work arose as a reaction to ‘straightforward’ design or problem solving, instead aiming to play with and subvert expectations for functional objects. My seating work is always meant to be used and viewed in isolation, intended to be experienced visually and by touch, but not necessarily through sitting. By placing it outdoors for an extended period of time, this invitation is likewise extended, and the choices that move its design farther from a ‘typical’ piece of seating tend to broaden its possibilities for brief use. Bench 16 may function as a play area, table, bench, solo chair, chaise, and more. One goal is that whatever environment this piece is placed in, it will always appear to be rendered into it – an unreal addition, never blending in. I find this to be a way of treating design honestly, embracing its inherent non-humanness and discomfort, highlighting rather than running from those aspects of the built environment.
About the Studio:
Malcolm Majer is a Baltimore-based artist engaged in an experimental furniture practice. He uses architectural fabrication techniques to create pieces that are technically usable, but intentionally indifferent to the user. His work employs geometric minimalist forms and saturated shifting colors to create functional objects that seem slightly removed from reality.
Malcolm Majer is a Baltimore-based artist engaged in an experimental furniture practice. He uses architectural fabrication techniques to create pieces that are technically usable, but intentionally indifferent to the user. His work employs geometric minimalist forms and saturated shifting colors to create functional objects that seem slightly removed from reality.