DIY Bench #1

Functional object
Wooden bench [45x45 Red pine. 1000mm x 500mm x 1000mm]
Stack of A4 instruction manuals.
 

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DIY Bench #1 is an accessible piece of furniture which explores ideas of shared space, community and accessibility.

 

Bench #1 is an easy to assemble wooden bench designed for two people to build together, a joint activity which splits the workload and cost, making it affordable and easy to construct. The audience are welcome to take from a large stack of manuals, which consist of step by step instructions on how to build the bench.

 

With accessibility at its core, the affordability of this work is crucial. The general simplicity of the work and the manual  being given to viewers free of charge removes a hierarchy from the work and places it within the reach of those less familiar with viewing art. It is essential that Bench #1 is exhibited as an ongoing work and shown in various non-art spaces in order to reach a more diverse audience.  

 

This work does not exist solely as an artwork but more a prop or starting point for conversation, whether this be between myself and a wider community of people, or the partners who build a bench together.

 

This work centres around an idea of collective building and was activated when built by others. You can see some here.

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Exhibited at:

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Pig Rock Bothy, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Haymarket Station, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Garnethill Multicultural Centre, Glasgow, Scotland.

Barnes Building, Glasgow, Scotland.

Grantley Street, Glasgow, Scotland.

New Glasgow Society, Glasgow, Scotland.

Mclellan Galleries, Glasgow, Scotland.

Stow College, Glasgow, Scotland.