Jason Miller, a 34 year old Brooklyn designer, is taking the old and, well, keeping it that way. His project, Broken Furnature, which will be exhibited at Denver’s P Design Gallery, celebrates the “lost and forgotten articles of a suburban garage or attic.”
Miller elevates antler chandeliers to high art. He brakes glass vases and then rebuilds them using colorful glues that highlight the imperfections. In his project “Dusty Tables”, tables are finished to intentionally reveal the patters in the dust that has been fixed in the varnish. And, of course, there must be an homage to the chair we all had. You know, the one you could only sit in if dad wasn’t around. Broken in, maybe taped together, but always molded perfectly to its owner. Both an eyesore and at the same time wholly irreplaceable. Miller takes that chair and keeps it shabby, only replacing the duct tape with strips of leather.
I have to admit that these pieces evoke in me both a familiarity and a kind of rose colored reminiscence about my childhood years. That’s not to say that we furnished our house with broken things (love you, mom). But many of us remember the dusty tables and worn furniture that had to survive both kids and pets. And we remember the comfort it brought.
According to Miller, when asked about his broken furniture and mismatched patterns, “Who says a whole bird is better than a half bird? Conventions are for suckers.” We agree. The exhibit will run from September 15th to November 4th.
