“This is not a table”- Felicia Ferrone
Volume Gallery debuts a new body of work from Felicia Ferrone, titled: On Space, with an opening reception on October 22 from 6-8 PM at 845 West Washington Blvd, Chicago, IL 60607.
Volume Gallery takes over a raw space in Chicago’s Westloop for its second presentation in an ongoing series highlighting limited edition work from American contemporary designers, from October 22 thru November 7. In her first solo exhibition, Ferrone presents a new collection of work that defines an environment through movement in material and space.
“Objects within space are choreographed through a strict vision of user interaction and function”
The designs in On Space set new rules for engagement, creating innovative modes for social interaction. Ferrone leads the user to question fundamental archetypes; an occasional table is more than a vehicle for objects, a dining table has no host and a light fixture is unconstrained as it gently orbits overhead.
Ferrone’s designs dictate her own unorthodox conclusions about the object’s use, challenging assumptions about the interplay of function and aesthetics. In Ferrone’s occasional table, Shift, a void in the tabletop does not allow for the accumulation of life’s detritus; by minimizing the surface Ferrone is engaging the user to play an active role in the piece.
Defining the object’s use is further reinforced by a tension that exists in the materials, chosen for each design. With Ferrone’s Catch chair, metal mesh expands and contracts to create a piece that seems to suspend the user. The Tuck bench borrows from origami, utilizing the action of folding; expressed through the linear qualities in the multicolored veneer. These materials challenge concepts that are simultaneously familiar and otherworldly to create a new visual vocabulary.
The collection’s aesthetic vigor is the most immediate feature of On Space; however, the subtle hints and clues that Ferrone unfurls as we experience each piece unlocks more profound meanings behind the makeup of these very minimal designs.
