| Oxygen Chair, 2015 | Michael Young came across several processes using aluminium for which no commercial application had been found, and he wanted to further explore their unknown potential as more creative and artistic openings for the material. |
This body of work saw Michael develop a set of steel tools in which molten aluminium could be injected with high-temperature gas under immense pressure, resulting in rock-like, sedimentary formations. During a secondary process, color was embedded within the exposed surfaces of the metal—a process akin to the natural cooling of the mineral from which it derives its name. The method used to produce and color the aluminium can be likened to the spontaneity of ceramic glazing, so that while Metal Rock came about through industrial processes, it results in unique, individually hand- nished objects.
This collection looks like it has just emerged from the deepest heart of the earth and has a sense of a dramatic, raw-cut nish, while conveying an essential link to Nature.
The Oxygen Chair has recently been acquired by the SFMOMA for its permanent collection.
