Abstract:
This thesis is concerned with the boundaries between fine art and functional design. This thesis explores the boundaries between the fields of art and design as it pertains to furniture. Further, it examines formal properties that make a piece of furniture more or less visually acceptable through analysis of a survey of the general public. This thesis identifies design elements which are likely to cause pieces of sculptural furniture to land on either side of the scale of functionality and comfort. Through analysis of real opinions on sculptural furniture in concert with a discussion of the historical context and theory behind the incorporation of artistic elements in furniture, this concludes in the design of a piece of sculptural furniture which synthesizes the primary and secondary research done into the visual accessibility of sculptural furniture.
