“Draw no more”. Martin Szekely declared in 1996 that his work would henceforth be guided by the mantra “draw no more.” Such an assertion may seem provocative coming from a leading “designer”, hailed as such in 1983 with the creation of his first piece—the masterful chaise longue Pi. Yet it represents a genuine commitment on his part, reversing the position attributed to him as creator.
The exhibition juxtaposes objects and texts as a means of understanding Szekely’s unique undertaking and its impact on his work over the past fifteen years. A film by Mark Lewis, created specifically for the exhibition, represents a major contribution to this attempt to shed light on the meaning of an oeuvre which, though enigmatic, is nonetheless impressive.
Without a doubt, “Draw no more” means withdrawing from the frenetic urge to consume commodities and signs. On a deeper level, it also means a firm refusal to place the self and its subjectivity centre-stage. It means making a deliberate choice not to draw on the self as the creative driving force. Not expressing his authorship enables the creator to lay bare what Martin Szekely calls the “hard stones” that represent the essence of objects: “their origin, definition, implementation, and destination.”
This work of distancing and analysis enables him to reveal what lies beneath the surface of objects—the constancy of their objective function, whether carrying or containing, associated with more subjective, symbolic values related to uses and customs. The aim is then to bring these out through the use of contemporary materials and techniques.
The neutrality of their definition and the impersonality of the technologies common to all of us mean that each new work spins an extremely taut thread. Szekely’s creative method goes straight to the essential, to the point where there is nothing more to add or subtract, stripping away anything that might upset the delicate balance and leaving the object available for any and every use, for all forms of appropriation and appreciation open to the recipient. This represents an economy of means whose ethical dimension generates, in fine, the aesthetic dimension.
Martin Szekely’s work leads us to question the place of objects not only in our everyday lives, but also on the art scene. In the words of Pierre Staudenmeyer, “Furniture occupies a humble space in the sphere of art because it belongs implacably to functionality—and yet, that very fact gives them a form of power that works of art do not share.”
Françoise Guichon