Furniture design. MFA-Studio. 2022.
Questions on the relationship of form, function and the roles of ornamentation led to the design of this coffee table for my first woodworking class. The design presents a coffee table in poplar wood with five legs, each having a groove that allows the top to slide into place. Each of these legs is connected to a system of stretchers hold the table together with a tenon-mortise.
A sixth, seemingly non-functional leg in cherry stands out from the rest. This darker, heavier leg draws the viewers attention first despite having no “real function” and can only do as good as mimicking the others. An unattached ornamental cube gives the appearance that the leg penetrates through the top and the motif on this cube depicts the tenon-mortise joinery that is integral to holding the table together.
What role does the Tenon-Mortise now play? What does it act as?
