All images © Tatiane Freitas, shared with permission
Hitting peak popularity in the mid-20th century, acrylic furniture—sometimes branded as Lucite—represented a fresh, modern take on traditionally functional objects, from tables to headboards to kitchen chairs. The clear thermoplastic can easily steal the show in a room, drawing attention to its own silhouette and contrasting the furnishings that surround it. São Paulo-based artist Tatiane Freitas taps into the legacy of the material and the relationship between past and present in her ongoing My New Old Series.
Redolent of kintsugi, a Japanese philosophy that embraces breakage and repair as part of the history of objects, Freitas molds strikingly transparent replacements for chair arms, spindles, and seats. The artist “aims to explore the dynamic between the past versus present, old versus young, and how this tension can be presented in a physical state,” she says in a statement. The plastic fits precisely into place and mirrors its wooden counterparts, creating an effect that is both solid and spectral.
Freitas has recently translated her full-size sculptures into miniature versions that appear to float on the wall, several of which are currently on view at Guy Hepner in New York City through the end of this month. You can also find more work on the artist’s website and Instagram.
“The Ripple Effect”
“The void created”
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