The Grit and The Glamour: Laurence Veitch, Caithness Chair

“The chair that was my main influence here was historically made by crofters and people of the land. They used what they had to hand to make their furniture. I didn’t have a wind-bent tree limb or crooked driftwood. For me it was important to use what I had at my disposal, so I’ve fashioned a similar form out of lumps of oak that I’ve been hoarding, left over from other jobs. To recreate anything vernacular is an exploration into the tensions between old and new, tradition and progression. Understanding how and why things were made the way they were is an important education and perhaps we learn how to make things more effectively or efficiently in a contemporary context.” Laurence Veitch

Oxidised and stained Oak, varnish.

Caithness Chair was first shown at Bard as part of the group exhibition The Grit and The Glamour in November 2023.