Concrete Stools
(2019)
Concrete Stools
(2019)





        This series is comprised of a range of colorful pastel concrete cast in three soft shapes and designed to be placed indoors or out. Cast and finished by hand, the works use a pigment infused, glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) which appears deceptively monolithic. The pigmented slurry is poured into a flat rubber mold which sits on-top of a wooden jig and is manipulated while curing into final form. Structurally the pieces act as three-point stools with the semi-circle forming the third point. They present a play of materiality by appearing at once smooth and rough, heavy and buoyant. The challenge of creating light-weight concrete furniture was a starting point for experimentation and the use of high-strength, alkali-resistant glass fiber reinforcement allows for a minimal thickness, eliminating the need for any metal reinforcement. The combination of a raw, permanent material with a lightweight colorful treatment and anthropomorphic scalloped form re-inserts a sense of playfulness and control into a material often associated with weight, ruins or architectural Brutalism.

Photography by Samuel McGuire



© 2023 Jerome Byron