A Studio Practice in Furniture features furniture, working models and sketches by Donald L. McKinley (1932 – 1998), an educator and craftsman who made an important contribution to Canadian design. He was founder of the Furniture Studio Program at Sheridan College, School of Crafts and Design, and a prominent member of the Oakville community. This exhibition thematically surveys McKinley's extensive body of work, grouping it into three leitmotifs: Multiple/Module, Inside/Outside, and Surfaces. McKinley's research and material production integrate industrial design, woodworking and traditional visual art practices. Through his practice he incorporated ready-made or cast-off materials, applied experimental geometry and the module, and embraced the use of the multiple and repetition. Dedicated to material experimentation, he used flexibility as a design conceit. He believed in the ability of an object to change according to the needs of the user, and thus its ability to improve living conditions. The artist's writings and notes are incorporated into the overall aesthetics of the exhibition in order to demarcate and layer the central themes.
This exhibition of McKinley's work coincides with 'Furniture 2000', the Furniture Society's annual conference, being held in Toronto, 14 – 17 June 2000.
Curated by Karen White
