Chair Transformation #22

“Chair Transformation #22” is one of twenty-five unconventional chairs Samaras created between 1969 and 1970. First exhibited in his solo show “Chair Transformations” at Pace Gallery, New York, in October 1970, the piece exemplifies his formal ingenuity. The mirror surface reflects the human form while absorbing its own surroundings—even itself. The exaggerated leg deviates from normal form and eschews the clean lines of Minimalism to assert instead a sensual, non-functional presence. As Donald Judd once said of Samaras’ work, this is an ‘exotic’ object. Here, use-value is secondary to sensorial presence, sculptural qualities, and imperceptibility. The chair both mirrors and ricochets the viewer’s gaze. Samaras once described his early chairs as “short stories […] anathema to those who were trying to flee narratives.” Yet, the artist never intended to live with them; these transformations were, he said, “propaganda for [his] psyche.” A similar chair is part of his celebrated installation “Mirrored Room” (1966).