“In tragedy, man is great but is destroyed nevertheless. In comedy, man is weak and small and inconsistent, but is redeemed by reminders of his greatness." — Bernard Schilling
Annie Evelyn creates work in search of human connection, self-discovery, and joy. She is a humanist, but society can often feel overwhelming. When confronted with the horrors and absurdities of life, it is our shared humanity that helps us support one another and laugh instead of cry.
Squishy Hard Stuff
“In 2005, I set out to make an upholstered chair that cracked like an egg when sat upon. Through experimentation, I invented a technique to create hard/soft surfaces by slathering wet cement over foam. Once dried and cracked, the thin pieces of cement moved independently from one another. Users didn’t realize the chair had a cushion until the last moment– they reacted with an instant of fear and astonishment, followed by relief and joy. I became captivated by the material and the experience that it provided. Using cement allowed me to make work with limited tools and space.
In 2011, I received a Windgate residency at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and had woodshop access for the first time in many years. By combining traditional upholstery button tufting techniques with my cement process, I could create squishy wood. This piece has hundreds of cut and sanded holly sticks that are “button tufted” to the upholstery.”
Meander
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Walnut, maple, sapele
19" X 32" X 19"
Bucher Benches
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Sapele and porcelain tiles
34" X 24" X 48"
Collaboration with Shae Bishop
2018photos by Scott Cartwright
Floe
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Collaboration with Ian Henderson
Sapele and white cement
47" X 34 X 19"
2015photos by Mercedes Jelinek
Adorned Furniture
“The technique used in pieces like Squishy Sticks and Scotty requires that the moving pieces be embedded in flat panels. I wanted to develop an alternative upholstery technique that would allow me to work with more sculptural forms. I had taken several small metals classes in my quest to learn new processes and began experimenting with the technique of dapping sheet metal.
In the small metals world, people often use the term “tiny shinies.” Though I don't wear jewelry myself, I think the particular giddiness we feel when we behold precious sparklies is universal. With these new pieces, I wanted to emulate that with large furniture pieces. I built chairs that looked like bean bags but have internal structures of wood and foam. Scale Lounge and Nest were both fully upholstered and then had thousands of metal scales sewn on.
After completing Scale Lounge and Nest, I felt that, though I had accomplished my goal of creating “precious” adorned furniture, their lack of engagement with the human body made me feel hollow. They were just chairs; people sat in them and that was it.
Oshibana (a term for the art of pressed flowers) is upholstered with handmade and hand-dyed paper flowers. When the user sits, the delicate paper flowers are crushed, leaving an imprint of the human body. Most people have an ingrained aversion to crushing flowers, so this piece also has a psychological component– forcing your body to do what your mind tells you not to. This piece was a major turning point and marked the beginning of overtly “feminine” qualities in my work.”