In visual art, Minimalism has had its own rational rules: dedication, discipline, clarity, purpose, geometric and cubic forms, repetition, natural surfaces, and a strong relationship between material and space. All of these characters are fundamental in Martin Szekely’s new work, which is presented in a solo show entitled ‘The Drawers and I‘ at Bruxelles-based gallery Pierre Marie Giraud. But these pieces also contain another key component of Minimalism, the metaphor. Order and disorder; fullness and emptiness, are captured in the essence of the drawers, which ‘resemble,’ according to Szekely ‘organism containing the things in life.’
Szekely belongs to the first generation of designers who began creating collectible design produced in limited edition in the 90s, and like his contemporary Jasper Morrison, voiced the Minimalist direction in contemporary design. With their precise craftsmanship, strict rows and forms, and meticulous proportions, these cabinets reminding me of the iconic bookcases in Donald Judd’s home-library in Marfa, Texas. Just like Szekely’s sculptured, they are freestanding sculpture, boxlike forms constructed of oak and can only be expressed in the three-dimensional space. The exhibition will open on May 17th and will run until August 24th.
