Furniture Glyphs

Appleply Plywood Furniture
Photography: Anton Grassl

DENOTATION

The material of this furniture series is 3/4" Appleply plywood with a maple veneer. The planes of the plywood create interlocking positive and negative volumes, the layered end-grain is exposed to delineate and accentuate the formal profiles, and the joints of the plywood have an intentional lack of constructional detail.

CONNOTATION

This series of furniture pieces distorts the relationship between the denotation and connotation of material, form, and function. The eidetic forms of the furniture appear like a three-dimensional alphabet, but what do they signify? These glyphs convey conflicting messages: the apparent function of the furniture is appropriated by its more compelling sign.