Furniture sculpture 1994

John Armleder’s furniture sculpture is one of those things you look at and immediately feel like you’re in on a joke, or maybe the joke is on you! There’s a certain kind of playful irony in taking everyday objects and presenting them as art. The three chairs, lined up like colorful soldiers, suggest a waiting room, but also a stage. The white backdrop flattens the space, making it less about function and more about form, color, and composition. That slick surface and those bold colors make you wonder if maybe Warhol was onto something. The juxtaposition of the mundane with the elevated is what really gets me going here. Is it art, or is it just furniture? Well, maybe it can be both. And maybe that’s the point. Much like Kippenberger, Armleder reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously, and that sometimes the most profound statements are made with the simplest gestures.