Faye Toogood
The present work is a prototype for an edition of eight, plus four artist proofs. British designer Faye Toogood does not confine herself to one artistic medium — whether working in furniture, clothing or sculpture, she strives to break down the barrier of classical tropes in design and introduce something new. Widely known for her Poly-Poly chair from 2014, Toogood has created a name for herself as one of the most prominent women in contemporary design. Maquette 208 / Paper Chair (Prototype) from 2020 confronts the audience with a wildly unexpected perceived medium: made from cast aluminum and acrylic in a way that looks like paper, it demonstrates how “deceptive first appearances can be.” [1]
First exhibited and designed for the artist’s solo show Assemblage 6: Unlearning, held at Friedman Benda in 2020, the chair in and of itself is a trompe-l’oeil; the true materials and honest construction of the work are hidden behind another perceived medium. For this show, Toogood dedicated her time to “unlearning” traditional design techniques and instead constructed maquettes made from “mundane materials found in the studio.” [2] Maquette 208 / Paper Chair in many ways evokes Frank Gehry’s “Easy Chair” series, in which he constructed chairs from corrugated cardboard. Toogood takes Gehry’s concept and turns it on its head: the appearance of paper suggests a lightness inherent to the work, which is juxtaposed with its aluminum construction. This masquerade renders paper, which Toogood remarks is perceived as “throwaway materials” permanent, subverting traditional design processes. [3]
[2] ‘Faye Toogood’ on Friedman Benda, n.d., https://www.friedmanbenda.com/artists/faye-toogood/
[3] Exhibition Catalogue: Friedman Benda, New York, Faye Toogood | Assemblage 6: Unlearning, 2020, p. 1