Michael Beitz is an American contemporary artist and designer who plays with and challenges the functionality of everyday objects. He is interested in the deep impact that furniture can have on our lives, at home and in public spaces. He...
Read More
Michael Beitz is an American contemporary artist and designer who plays
with and challenges the functionality of everyday objects. He is interested in
the deep impact that furniture can have on our lives, at home and in public
spaces. He explores the feelings of intimacy, isolation, and alienation by
distorting familiar furniture, allowing the viewer to question their significance,
and reflect on their unconscious influence. Through his knotted couches,
intertwined beds, and looping tables, he reveals, in a humorous way, the
complexity of human relationships. With his outdoor works, Beitz also offers
perspective on the way urban planning and architecture dictate social
interactions, or create the absence thereof, while giving the illusion of
freedom. His intricate tables and benches, twisting or falling from buildings
like waterfalls, aim at offering a visual escape from daily grind, bringing
people back together and igniting conversation.
Born in Buffalo, NY (US), Michael Beitz was inspired
at a young age by Navajo potter Maria Martinez’s work and started to experiment
making ceramics from clay found near his home. He went on to study ceramics at Alfred
University. He later spent several years training alongside the world renowned
American furniture artist Wendell Castle, where he acquired skills in wood craftsmanship. He then completed his studies with an MFA in Sculpture
from the University at Buffalo (US).
He performs public art commissions and interventions, and
exhibits works both nationally and internationally. His work has been included
in Banksy’s Bemusement Park “Dismaland” in the UK as well as “Home Futures”
at The Design Museum in London.
He is currently based in Berlin.
.
