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The lounge suite came about because in the course of my Studio year the opportunity was in place to do upholstery. These pieces are a culmination of ideas and images constructed in an unconventional, but educational way. The construction was done in three stages;
- A pine and plywood frame was made in the Workshop with the inclusion of an image (to be hidden under the upholstery.)
- The frame was upholstered with foam, springs, fabric etc. with the aid of facilities and advice from Inside Story, a professional upholstery workshop in Fyshwick.
- The piece was returned to the Workshop for the construction and fitting of the Wenge legs.
The backrests of both the three-seat lounge and the armchair are buttoned. The buttons, which are set out in Braille, act in a completely opposite way to the concealed interior image. On the lounge the word “three” is spelt out, on the armchair the word “one”: both are modestly representational of the recommended seating capacity for each seat. Braille is an implement for the visually impaired. In its use as a communication device it is not intended to be seen and here contradicts its purpose by being used as a decorative device
I have had quite a lot of interaction with the interior of lounges as I was once casually employed to remove the fabric and dismantle lounges to be reupholstered. Through this I have been witness to the many objects that get lost within a lounge; stationary, photographs, money, receipts, toys, letters etc. These insignificant objects become valuable as they provoke the imagination about the furniture’s history. They act in much the same way as if the whole were a time capsule. In my upholstered furniture, within the foam and fabric, only to be seen with the prospect of re-upholstery, there is a CNC cut image in 6mm MDF that has become permanently part of the skeleton of the lounge.