America is based on a kitchen table I grew up with, a type popular in Texas in the 1980s and ’90s. Conceptually, the round tabletop provides everyone in a “nuclear family” a seat at the table. The chairs are derived from turn-of-the-century pressback chairs that, compared to more common utilitarian chairs, allowed the masses the luxury of a design that was both ergonomic and decorative. The table is crafted from mesquite wood, a tree indigenous to the southwestern United States that can thrive in drought conditions. Perseverance is a cultural trait I attempt to anthropomorphize through the use of this wood. The large thorns create a space that is uninhabitable. For me the piece materializes the people who intentionally place thorns on the table to prevent others from using it, as well as the users who perceive the table as inaccessible and inhospitable. The work is an embodiment of America as a desirable space that is for many difficult to inhabit.\n
Hugh Hayden
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