ABANDONED CHAIRS
The Abandoned Chair Paul Kuzemczak In recent years I have developed an archive of photographs taken in streets and public places, both in the UK and overseas. Whilst cataloguing the collection I discovered a series of connected images depicting abandoned chairs in a range of unusual surroundings. Why do we see so many chairs left desolate in strange places? Maybe some were used as a makeshift staff room for people sunning themselves during their coffee break or as convenient oversized door wedges. Others have no obvious or logical explanation. I exhibited a small selection of these ‘chair’ images in a solo show at Frontier Gallery, an artist run space in Norwich. During the exhibition a number of people approached me with images that they had taken of chairs in similar situations, and people continue to capture new sightings and send them to me. The appearance of this theme and the instant connection it made with people highlighted the fascination this subject holds. There is a degree of mystery with the abandonment of chairs and viewers are instantly engaged by the possible reasons and narratives behind the image. The first set of photographs in this book was selected from an open submission photography project, which resulted in 300 entries from across the world, with over 750 photographs being submitted. A selection panel chose the work of 39 artists to show alongside my own images (the second set of photographs in this book). The images document traces left by people’s interactions with chairs, either intentional or not. The works capture the humanity of ordinary everyday scenes that are chosen for their immediacy and humour.
When is a chair not a chair? Kaavous Clayton Chairs are frequently taken for granted: used but ignored. Designers relish the opportunity to lavish their creativity upon this familiar domestic tool, hoping to create a revolutionary object or design icon that will be admired and venerated for years to come. But when we sit on a chair, if it is successful enough in terms of its comfort, we mostly forget it is even there. This is in stark contrast to our perception of a chair when not in use. As soon as a chair is dislocated it seems to acquire an entirely new character. The placement of a chair on a plinth or dais removes the item from us to an extent where it is difficult to see it as something useful anymore. This encourages an examination of the chair in different terms; we admire the qualities of the material it is constructed from, explore the form that the materials follow and idolise the ‘being’ of the chair. The differing characteristics that a chair assumes according to its context may point towards the reason why Paul Kuzemczak’s collection of abandoned chairs is such an emotive and engaging subject. The ability a chair has to assume human characteristics (or rather the inclination humans have to imbue a chair with our own characteristics) creates a misplaced connection and affinity. The sight of a lone chair that has been discarded, unloved and unwanted, creates pathos. Feeling sympathy for an inanimate object is probably an increasingly rare occurrence in our throw away society. It is an obvious statement that we regularly encounter litter but seldom feel sorry for it, so why would we feel emotion for a discarded chair? It may have something to do with the importance and symbolic nature that humankind has invested in chairs. Our desire to raise ourselves from the ground stems from aspirations to meet (or become) gods: the desperation for flight (to ever increasing heights), magician’s tricks of levitation and myths of flying carpets can all be linked to our hope of becoming more than human, and our first step on this path was the chair. We raised ourselves above the earth and its animals by sitting on logs or rocks. This developed into the creation of more purposefully constructed seating. Kings and Queens use fancy thrones to elevate themselves over their subjects. If we wish to raise ourselves above our fellows we must follow the appropriate codes and acquire an expensive and exclusive chair that demonstrates our wealth and taste, thereby setting us apart from the multitude. The use of the chair to symbolise our civilized nature may explain why there is such emotion raised by the sight of an abandoned chair: it could be that this image is seen as an indication of our fall from civilisation. The casting away of something that was our first move towards the heavens creates a subconscious twinge. Or maybe we simply have great affection for these familiar pieces of furniture. We see a chair and transform it into a character, then explore its surroundings and fabricate a story to explain its situation. That is when a chair is not a chair. When it’s a four-legged friend.
ABANDONED CHAIRS
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38
James Newton (UK) Morgan Jones (USA) Stephen Parry (UK) Samuel Wingate (UK) Chris & Raymond Leyland (UK) Sarah Ballard (UK) Daniel Lehan (UK) Simon Mitchell (UK) Angela Frost (UK) Stephen Cross (UK) Gawain Barnard (UK) Brian W. Thomas (UK) Adam McDonald (UK) ZoĂŤ Kennard (UK) David Kendall (UK) Ben Tanner (UK) Leilani A. Wertens (USA) Zoe Childerley (UK) Chris Eckersley (UK) Ulf Mark Pedersen (Norway) Peter Doubleday (UK) Ben Coode-Adams (UK) Andrew Howe (UK) Christine Kelly (Canada) Kirsten Lavers (UK) Ray Gayling (UK) Mary Hockenbery (USA) Christopher Tuckett (UK) Natalie Behring (USA) Natascha Sturny (Switzerland) Sara Zinelli (Italy) Silvia Ganora (Italy) Trevor Attwood (UK) Sean Cunningham (UK) Stuart David Fallon (UK) Steve Johnson (UK) Tim Watson (UK) Damien Robinson (UK)
39-58
Paul Kuzemczak (UK)
59
Katherine Mager (UK)
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
01
James Newton (UK)
Lupus Street, London, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Morgan Jones (USA)
Oakland, California, USA
02
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
03
Stephen Parry (UK)
Newcastle, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Samuel Wingate (UK)
Brick Lane, London, UK
04
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
05
Chris & Raymond Leyland (UK)
Blackwaters, Wigan, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Sarah Ballard (UK)
Reepham Road, Norwich, UK
06
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
07
Daniel Lehan (UK)
Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Simon Mitchell (UK)
Canterbury, Kent, UK
08
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
09
Angela Frost (UK)
Yeadon Cricket Ground, Leeds, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Stephen Cross (UK)
Great Plumstead, Norfolk, UK
10
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
11
Gawain Barnard (UK)
The Res Club, Trealaw, Rhondda, South Wales, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Brian W. Thomas (UK)
Wigan, UK
12
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
13
Adam McDonald (UK)
Derelict rugby ground, Kingston Upon Thames, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Zoë Kennard (UK)
Frome, Somerset, UK
14
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
15
David Kendall (UK)
Swakeleys Junction, Ickenham, Middlesex, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Ben Tanner (UK)
Kardamena, Kos, Greece
16
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
17
Leilani A. Wertens (USA)
Behind a hospital in Los Angeles, California, USA
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Zoe Childerley (UK)
Liberty Building, Leicester, UK
18
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
19
Chris Eckersley (UK)
Corner of Willows Road, Birmingham, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Ulf Mark Pedersen (Norway)
Dursley, Gloucestershire, UK
20
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
21
Peter Doubleday (UK)
White Lund, Morecambe, Lancashire, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Ben Coode-Adams (UK)
Orient Way, Leyton, London, UK
22
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
23
Andrew Howe (UK)
Ridings Brook, Hawks Green, Cannock, UK
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Christine Kelly (Canada)
Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, USA
24
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
25
Kirsten Lavers (UK)
Opposite the Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Ray Gayling (UK)
Marseillan, France
26
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NAME
LOCATION
27
Mary Hockenbery (USA)
Dixon, on the road to Ojo Sarco, New Mexico, USA
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Christopher Tuckett (UK)
Dussingdale, Norwich, UK
28
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NAME
LOCATION
29
Natalie Behring (USA)
Qianmen neighborhood of Beijing, China
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Natascha Sturny (Switzerland)
Naples, Italy
30
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NAME
LOCATION
31
Sara Zinelli (Italy)
Ex-mental hospital in Volterra, Tuscany, Italy
NAME
LOCATION
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Silvia Ganora (Italy)
City of Messina, Sicily, Italy
32
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NAME
LOCATION
33
Trevor Attwood (UK)
Great Eastern Street, London, UK
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LOCATION
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Sean Cunningham (UK)
Carpenters Road, Hackney, UK
34
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NAME
LOCATION
35
Stuart David Fallon (UK)
Whistler-Blackcomb Mountain, BC, Canada
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Steve Johnson (UK)
Stoke Newington, London, UK
36
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
37
Tim Watson (UK)
Limassol, Cyprus
NAME
LOCATION
IMAGE
Damien Robinson (UK)
Westcliff-on-Sea, Southend, UK
38
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NAME
LOCATION
39
Paul Kuzemczak (UK)
Berlin, Germany
LOCATION
IMAGE
Leipzig, Germany
40
IMAGE
LOCATION
41
Upper Goat Lane, Norwich, UK
LOCATION
IMAGE
St Giles Street, Norwich, UK
42
IMAGE
LOCATION
43
Amsterdam, Holland
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IMAGE
Malmo, Sweden
44
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LOCATION
45
Paris, France
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Malia, Crete
46
IMAGE
LOCATION
47
Malia, Crete
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IMAGE
Silfield, Norfolk, UK
48
IMAGE
LOCATION
49
Rome, Italy
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IMAGE
Larache, Morocco
50
IMAGE
LOCATION
51
Upper St Giles, Norwich, UK
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Great Yarmouth, UK
52
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LOCATION
53
Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich, UK
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IMAGE
Thorpe Road, Norwich, UK
54
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LOCATION
55
Malia, Crete
LOCATION
IMAGE
Unthank Road, Norwich, UK
56
IMAGE
LOCATION
57
Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, UK
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IMAGE
Regent Road, Great Yarmouth, UK
58
PROJECT CONCEPTION AND COORDINATION
Paul Kuzemczak SELECTION PANEL
David Girling, Sarah Horton and Paul Kuzemczak FUNDED BY
Arts Council England East PAPER SPONSORSHIP
Printed on Skye Coated Extra Matt 150gsm and 250gsm supplied by the James McNaughton Group THANKS TO
Clive Bramble, Kaavous Clayton and Melanie Gosling www.norwichoutpost.org DESIGNED BY
www.gk3.co.uk PRINTED BY
Saxon Print Group EDITION
1000 ISBN
1-872482-83-X 978-1-872482-83-5 DIGITAL ENHANCEMENT
Kirsten Lavers’ photograph enhanced by Max Weaver-Lavers
© 2006 Paul Kuzemczak and the Artists All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the prior permission of the publisher British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A cataloguing record for this book is available from the British Library
COVER IMAGE
Paul Kuzemczak, Agios Nikolaos, Crete
IMAGE
NAME
LOCATION
59
Katherine Mager (UK)
Falmouth, UK
www.abandonedchairs.org