Cognizant that even those who tread lightly leaveinevitable signs of their passing, curators Ethan Lasser and Hongtao Zhouemployed a minimalist philosophy in planning and presenting “Green FurnitureDesign,” on display at the Milwaukee Art Museumthrough March 14, 2010.
With new works placed alongside historical examples,the exhibit “explores how 21st-century furniture makers seek to modify ouraesthetic expectations—especially when it comes to forms that are multifunctional,recyclable, or made of alternative materials.” Pieces include furnitureconstructed from nontraditional, unlikely or cast-off materials, includingscrap-wood, old sweatshirts, recycled cardboard and even ice.
In keeping with the renewable theme of the piecesthemselves, Lasser and Zhou aspired to keep the exhibit’s footprint small. Theyeliminated the use of paper, where possible, in the design, planning andwriting related to the show. In assembling the physical exhibit, recycled orlocal objects were favored, and bicycle transportation was used to bring piecesfrom as far away as Madison and Green Bay. Viewer-activated lighting willkeep energy consumption to a minimum.
While it’s unlikely any of the pieces will soon turnup in the home furnishings acre of your local big-box store, “Green FurnitureDesign” encouragingly rethinks renewable design aesthetics in a world ofdwindling raw materials.
On Saturday, the Milwaukee artist collective of Archie AndrosStudio and The Couto Brothers will debut an exhibition of postmodern abstractacrylic paintings born of collaborative effort, at times with synchronicity andat times from bedlam.
Jason Wuerch, Cole Norton, Jeremy Wuerch, ChrisCouto and Alex Couto worked with a tiny budget and a diverse set of skills thatincludes not only traditional drawing and painting, but also video,photography, digital art, collage and graffiti. Beyond the colors that radiatefrom the collective’s dreamy canvases, there’s the heat of conflictingemotions, smoothed transitions of texture and captivating spatial riddles. Archie Andros Studio and The Couto Brotherswill host their debut gallery opening on Saturday, Nov. 21, from 6 p.m. tomidnight and Sunday, Nov. 22, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. at East Towne Ballrooms,614 N. Broadway. Complimentary wine and hors d'oeuvres will be served at thisfree event.
