Jay Gard

01 July – 31 August 2019

Jay Gard (* 1984 Halle/Saale) is an artist and deals with objects on the boundary between design and art. He studied at the University of Art and Design Halle (Burg Giebichenstein) and at the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig. His installative works follow strictly geometric principles. He opposes this cool rationality with handicraft, which is characterized by individual mistakes and peculiarities – slips and traces of processing are explicitly desired as "beautiful mistakes" on the lacquered surfaces.

For the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation and Thonet GmbH, Gard designed an edition of B9 stools (design: Marcel Breuer), the colour concept of which is based on a children's room carpet by the Bauhaus artist Grete Reichardt. The interplay of Breuer's design, Reichardt's colours and Gard's interpretation creates a new artistic work. From 8 September 2019, around one hundred of the unique pieces he has designed will serve as seating for visitors at the Bauhaus Museum Dessau.

Jay Gard's on his work and his stay:

"Through the external restrictions – such as the dimensions of the seat of the stool – I can proceed in a much more focused and concrete way than with free artistic works. There is great creative potential in this limitation. With the Bauhaus Residency, I also leave my familiar Berlin environment and my studio, which is perfectly tailored to my needs. This is also associated with restrictions, but brings more concentration and new thought-provoking impulses."