aesthetic seduction: symbolic furniture to expand queer design

With more than 400 attacks on LGBTQIA+ rights and creative expression in state legislatures during 2023 alone, furniture represents an ideal cross-platform between queer and hetero-normative households that can spark dialogue on identity, community, belonging, and finding common ground. The thesis collection, Aesthetic Seduction, seeks to address this by furthering the Glasgow School and Viennese Secession’s goal of redefining the gendered and ethnic politics of objects and space by utilizing their language and methodology to incorporate queer iconography into symbolic furniture as a means of expanding queer design and generational inclusion.

a reflection of the identity we present to the world

The equal sign, or the Human Rights Campaign logo, is a storied symbol of queer activism and insistence upon equal rights for the queer community. The sign carries a long history of court cases and fights for those rights. Whether throwing a brick into the Stonewall Inn or lobbying for human rights legislature, any progress made has been a result of tenacious and courageous individuals.

The passing mirror, the first, most public piece, is comprised of two full-length hardwood mirrors. The pieces provide an opportunity to check one’s reflection and presentation of self to the world. One’s projected image, whether in dress or home furnishings, is a reflection of identity. Oftentimes, queer people have to pass as heternormative to participate in the demands of society. The passing mirror represents this aspect of queer existence in its split form- one mirror could represent the true self, while the other represents the mask that is worn for the public.

The split form of the two mirrors is also a physical representation and manipulation of the symbol chosen for the piece, a rotated equal sign. The maquestry, which incorporates the equal sign, was inspired by the Weiner Werkstätte’s bountiful examples of goddess figure parquetry, particularly in case goods, which were references to times of Jewish/Hellenic acculturation. The goddess figure was also incorporated to impart a feeling of self-divinity and resilience to the user, whether one is attempting to pass or not. The aim is that one, seeing one’s self framed in this goddess silhouette, is elevated out of the everyday, even if just for a second.

The piece was constructed using maple, wenge, purpleheart, and mirrored glass.