Jonathon Muecke, Frame, Polished stainless steel, 77 x 166 x 100"

The Graham Foundation and Volume Gallery partner to present a talk by Jonathan Muecke in conjunction with Open Objects, his first solo exhibition. Rather than a collection, Muecke considers each of the objects in the exhibition to be its own project, the result being that every one is consistent to its counterparts only in its potential – “a quality that is itself immeasurable.”

Muecke’s projects reflect  common forms of design and a continual pursuit of the meta-object. It is within this confrontation, between viewer and object, that development of new thought on functionality and materiality lives. Utilizing materials such as coal slag, glass sand, carbon fiber and gold foil, each piece works to remove our limitations of understanding and encourages the viewer to engage and interact.

A reception in the garden will follow the talk at 5PM.

Open Objects will be on view at Volume Gallery in Chicago from April 30 through May 15, 2011. Visit www.wvvolumes.com for more information.

Graham Foundation grantee Jonathan Olivares wrote about Muecke’s work in Abitare last October. To read the article, click here.

Jonathan Muecke lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He graduated from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 2010, where from 2009-10 he was the Florence Knoll Scholar. In 2006 he received a Bachelors of Architecture from Iowa State University followed in 2007 by an internship at the architectural office of Herzog & de Meuron in Basel, Switzerland. In July of 2010 the jury of the Design Parade 5 (Hyéres, France) assigned him the Veuve Clicquot Award. His field of work circulates around the periphery of design.

Volume Gallery is an event-based gallery with a specific focus on American design, and a strong emphasis placed on emerging contemporary designers. The Volume Gallery releases editions, publications and organizes exhibits that showcase the work of American designers to regional, national and international audiences. The Gallery asks critical questions of what it means to be an American designer in a culture that is rapidly becoming more global, while simultaneously examining the American experience.

Related Links
Jonathan Muecke
http://jonathanmuecke.com/