Tejo Remy Chest of Drawers



Posted: Saturday, February 12, 2011

by Ian Robertson
http://chestsofdrawers.org.uk

What is classified as art in today’s society has become a highly controversial debate, with no clear cut objective criterion with which to judge. One such piece of “Modern Art” from the early 1990’s is that of Tejo Remy’s Chest Of Drawers.

Here the Dutch designer crafted an entirely new take on furniture, gathering individual drawers either discarded on the streets or bargained for in flea markets. Each drawer is unique in itself with a diverse blend of materials used, with varying combinations of wood, metal and plastic.

 Attempting to blend forward thinking contemporary functionality with older materials to conjure up a sense of nostalgia, Remy strapped the full 20 chests together as one, bound with a single strap. Many thoughts can be gleamed from Remy’s design, with some viewers citing the sense of urgency and empathy it propels in our minds, whilst simultaneously forcing each drawer to be considered individually. The underlying connotation bounds forward that with each separate object we are required to engage in differing thoughts, our socks and shirts are in the lower right hand drawer, bills in the upper right hand drawer.

Remy’s design has often been cited as being ahead of his time, and he is now noted as igniting exploration of everyday objects by designers to push us to think in new and refreshed forms, allowing us to take a deeper insight and see common materials in a new and exhilarating manner.

Becoming part of the permanent collection in the New York Museum of Modern Art this chest of drawers still attracts attention. The compelling manner in which it focuses our thought processes is undeniable, however, to many this is merely another example of what constitutes itself as art. The answer lies in each individual’s perception and willingness to look further than the immediate engagement and novelty of such pieces.
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