MONOLITHIC FORESTRY
NOVEMBER 4 - DECEMBER 16, 2023
Friends Artspace is thrilled to present Monolithic Forestry by Providence, Rhode Island based artist Theju Nimmagadda.
This exhibition of extruded, brutalist seating is a love letter to the life and form of the Northern White Cedar 5” x 5” and an examination of mass-produced U.S. lumber.
Nimmagadda begins each piece digitally as a mockup made in the video game Minecraft, and then translates it into a physical model made of Legos. These building simulators, both based in the logic of rectilinear construction, perfectly suit the orthogonal nature of the cedar beams. Through an involved process the trees have been transformed from natural, unconstrained forms into indistinguishable building blocks. This metamorphosis begins on industrial plantations, where the cedars are grown at an accelerated rate in monocultures and then shipped across the nation for consumption. The timbers are never given time to dry, causing them to immediately start imploding as their moisture content decreases and they begin to shrink.
In Monolithic Forestry, this dramatic transformation is put on display, with the end grain planes in Nimmagadda’s finished works showcasing the checking, knots, dry rot, and growth rings of each individual cedar. Each end grain tile is a visual diagram documenting the vicious life cycle these trees were born into and the trauma of the supply chain. Together, these planes become living, breathing mosaics, highlighting the ongoing tension between nature and industry. All other surfaces of the forms are then sealed and stabilized with latex paints known as Safety Red, Safety Blue, and Safety Yellow, which are commonly used to coat industrial metal surfaces. These standardized colors harken back to the concise palettes of Minecraft and Lego.
The cedar 5” x 5” jumps its fate line of forceful standardization from birth. Nimmagadda gives second life to the cedar timber by meticulously sanding and polishing its cross section, which refuses to be anything but relentlessly beautiful and unique, a quiet rebellion against its artificially imposed monolithic nature.
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THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Standard Stool, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint, bronze cast branches
14.25 x 12 x 14.25 inches
Edition of 5 -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Red Joint, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint, bronze cast branch
32 x 32 x 14.25 inches
Edition of 5 -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Blue Barrier, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
72 x 12.25 x 17 inches
Edition of 5 -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Yellow Seat 1, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
25.5 x 12.75 x 29.75 inches
Edition of 5 -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Yellow Seat 2, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
25.5 x 12.75 x 29.75 inches
Edition of 5 -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Yellow Seat 3, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
25.5 x 12.75 x 29.75 inches
Edition of 5 -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Red Stool, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
14.25 x 12 x 14.25 inches
Open edition -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Yellow Stool, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
14.25 x 12 x 14.25 inches
Open edition -
THEJU NIMMAGADDA
Safety Blue Stool, 2023
White cedar construction timber, industrial latex paint
14.25 x 12 x 14.25 inches
Open edition