Opening Reception:

June 2, 2023; 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., early entry for Friends and Partners at 5:00 p.m.

Atavistic Memories: The Studio Furniture of Sam Forrest explores the American Studio Furniture Movement through the hands of furniture maker Sam Forrest (1936–2021). Bringing together furniture, painting, and archives, the exhibition considers the intellectual statements of an artisan outside the constraints of the past and the advanced technology of the twentieth century. For Sam, his craft was a quality or state of being in which he permitted his subconscious to reveal itself through skillful woodwork. Forrest devoted more than fifty years to handcrafted woodworking, from household objects to church altars. More than thirty works showcase this commitment to craft, function, and material. Atavistic Memories: The Studio Furniture of Sam Forrest encapsulates the spiritual tenacity and structural process of a man engaged in the delight and dilemma of the resistance of wood.

This exhibition was organized by The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design and Bo Forrest.

Sam Forrest, American 1936-2021

Lilypad table, 2019

cherry

35 1/2"H x 27 1/2" W x 22" D 

Collection of Bo Forrest

This exhibition is sponsored by Green Front Furniture.