Self-taught designer Joseph Walsh builds lyrical pieces of furniture that are more like free flowing sculptures. Functional and aesthetically beautiful, his creations blur the line between art forms. Walsh’s materials are all natural; combinations of wood, white oil, olive ash, to name a few, which he retrains into fluid shapes mimicking growth. In this way, his pieces also blur a line between the original living source and their still form. In many of his works, his process involves stripping down wood pieces into thin layers, which he then manipulates and reconstructs into free form compositions. The result is abstract, organic shapes with an air of whimsical movement. Walsh realizes his most ambitious work with the help of a team of engineers, technicians and craftsmen, working out of his Ireland based studio. At his website, he writes, “I believe we can enhance the quality of our lives by surrounding ourselves with objects that possess values beyond their function or aesthetic, that possess intelligence in their creation, that one can interact with and that will stimulate senses each and every time one engages with them.” Walsh’s work can currently be viewed in the “Make Yourself Comfortable at Chatsworth” exhibition at Chatsworth House in England, on view through October 23rd.
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