September 13 – November 15, 2014
Opening reception: Saturday, September 13, 2014, 6-8 pm
Artist Talk: 7 pm
Lora Reynolds Gallery is pleased to announce Domestic Furniture by Roy McMakin, an exhibition of furniture designed by McMakin and fabricated by his Seattle-based workshop, Big Leaf Manufacturing. The exhibition will feature new works and will be on view from September 13 to November 8, 2014. There will be an opening reception on September 13 from 6 – 8pm with a talk by the artist at 7pm.
Throughout his 27-year career, Roy McMakin has produced a diverse range of work consisting of sculptures, drawings, photographs, and household curios. He has also expanded his creative practice to include interiors and architecture, designing houses and buildings. In all of his work McMakin has consistently explored ideas of home, comfort, love, and companionship.
In 2014, Roy McMakin partnered with Lora Reynolds to produce a single, tightly curated line of furniture. These pieces are intended for every day use and will only be available for a limited time. As the main line evolves, a group of secondary pieces will remain constant, serving as iconic forms and staple designs. These include McMakin’s slatback chair, caudal stool, and sofa, pieces that have endured throughout the artist’s extensive career.
McMakin draws his inspiration from a wide variety of sources that include painting, film, estate sales, friend’s homes, history books, and sometimes an inexplicable combination of culture, experience, and imagination. He is informed by both high and low culture. A chair in an Edward Hopper painting, and a chest of drawers seen in the background of a pornographic film, for example, have both served as the genesis for new works. At first glance the work feels traditional and familiar, but upon closer examination subtle details emerge. A New White Chair from a Dark Old House appears to be a common Windsor chair, until one notices the legs, stiles, and rails are hand-turned and far from symmetrical—one of the spindles in the back of the chair is even upside-down. As with most of his work, a McMakin chair—with all its quirks and cheek—might resemble more closely a person than a chair.
The detail of McMakin’s objects engage with the viewer in a new, intellectual, and artistic way while still blending effortlessly into everyday life. Known for his fine craftsmanship, rich colors, lustrous finishes, quirky humor, and surprising, subversive details, his furniture and work continue to bridge the gap between art and design.
About Domestic Furniture
Founded and created in 1987 by artist Roy McMakin, Domestic Furniture fabricates furniture by hand in small quantities at Big Leaf Manufacturing, its Seattle workshop. Limited to the scale of output by its skilled craftspeople, the pieces produced are characterized by McMakin’s celebration of sculptural meanings contained in American vernacular furniture. The work is an exploration of wood, color, and joinery. In 2014, McMakin partnered with Austin gallerist Lora Reynolds to launch a line of furniture that will mark a return to small-scale production.
For more information, please visit: www.domesticfurniture.com
About Roy McMakin
Roy McMakin was born in Lander, Wyoming in 1956. He has had solo exhibitions at The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, Ridgefield, CT. McMakin has produced commissions for the Olympic Sculpture Park at the Seattle Art Museum, the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and the San Diego International Airport. His architectural projects have been featured in many prestigious publications, including Architectural Digest, the New York Times Magazine, and Dwell. He divides his time between Seattle, WA and San Diego, CA.