Michael Samuels

Michael Samuels 

Title: Postmortem  

Year: 2010                                                           

 

Michael Samuels is known for his unique style of taking modernist furniture and taking it apart. Later reassembling it and adding UV light in it creating a mixed media, installation, sculpture. That has a feel of rebellion against things that are typically seen everywhere in our society. The bondage that is used to hold together all of the wood pieces together, can be used to hold down heavy objects. The bright orange of the tie downs that are being used makes the piece seem to be even more about the tie downs than the piece. The bright primary orange color takes away the masterpiece that has been crated behind them. But the light that radiates from within it being a complimentary color to the orange, creates a  balance that removes the dresser and makes this piece all about the orange to blue contrast. 

I feel that  in this piece the dresser's restrains prevent a user from being able to open any of the drawers. The function of this dresser has been changed into a  something that is pondered about. The center drawer has been completely removed creating a negative space where air and light can fill the hole that has been provided. The middle of the dresser, instead of being even with the rest of it, has been cut out and angled perpendicularly with the rest of the the dresser. This creates the feeling of this dresser is alive and is trying to escape the bonds of modernism.