Artist StatementAs a furniture artist I create sculptural environments to explore the boundaries of function. Each piece is an experiment in how shapes make space and how these spaces affect a passing observer. The shapes I create range from curved open spaces to partially closed volumes, each allowing different levels of comfort and shelter. These works provide a unique place for sitting or reclining, alone or in groups, but ask an occupant to conform to the space and reassess their own expectations of body position.
I draw my design inspiration from both the natural environment and the devices human crafters have developed to better support life. In nature I may see a spontaneous negative space created by the forces of the natural world and envision how that form could function as a simple shelter if enhanced by human hands. In the constructed world I am often drawn to the evidence of human activity, the enhancing of materials and forms provided by nature. This can be seen in simple tools, where function is discovered through form; and in architecture, where sculptures of space meet our most sophisticated mastery of materials. In my furniture projects I build occupiable space by combining forms derived from nature with the structural expression of materials and connections found in engineered objects. |
 jtorbick@gmail.com
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