Rick Owens: Furniture

Many people have difficulty understanding Contemporary Art. Unorthodox subject matter and technique scare many away and have them asking: "how is that art?" Similarly, many view decorative objects, like furniture and jewelry, as a less prestigious version of traditional art. When both of these genres collide the product is Rick Owens: Furniture: the newest exhibition presented by M.O.C.A.'s location at the Pacific Design Center. 

If you don't know who Rick Owens is, let me enlighten you. Owens is known for his eponymous clothing line where he features deconstructed womenswear in dark neutral hues. His fashion shows are known for their avant-garde presentation that often shock the general public. This spirit is alive and well in his furniture line that M.O.C.A has beautifully presented alongside postmodernist artwork by Steven Parrino. 

Yes, that is a model wearing a model at Rick Owens SS16 show

Rick Owens' furniture is reminiscent of Brutalist Architecture. His designs are heavy, imposing, and look more like a part of Stonehenge than furniture. His reinterpretation of furniture design has led many to balk at his creations. The scale of his pieces make them difficult to incorporate into a decorative scheme: they are better suited as functional art pieces. 

Rick Owens Bed, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal

Owen's monolithic style is a large part (pun intended) of why he gained notoriety in the Decorative Art world, but not the only contributing factor. His use of unorthodox materials is unprecedented in furniture design. Have you ever seen an ottoman made out of industrial foam core and electrical tape? I sure haven't. His use of these materials in some of his pieces turns traditional furniture design inside out. The foam, wood, and glue that usually create the skeleton of a piece are now what is used to finish it. 

2 Prong Bench in Alabaster (2015) with Steven Parrino Artwork Behind

Camel Obelisk (2016) and Oxbone Bench (2015)

Foam Prong Seat (2016)

Foam Totem (2016)

M.O.C.A.'s curation of the show is simple and allows the furniture and the accompanying artwork by Parrino to speak for itself. The show thrives on the simplicity that is inherent to Owens' brand and I am "simply" a fan. If you would like to check out the exhibition for yourself head over to the M.O.C.A. PDC location. Admission is free and will be open until April 2, 2017. 

Cheers,

Hugh