John Rankine Art

The Artwork of John Rankine

  • Home
  • John’s Blog
    • Personal Blog
    • “Art Attack” Newspaper Columns
  • About J.R.
  • Mixed Media
    • Found Object Assemblage
    • Clothing
    • Print Design
    • Ceramics
    • Art Shows
    • Video
  • Photography
  • Recent Work
    • 2010 to Current
  • Past Works
    • 1980’s Art
    • 1990’s Art
    • 2000 Art
  • Contact
  • Bleach It & Dye
You are here: Home / Period Archive / 1990's Art / The Chair Series

The Chair Series

April 30, 2014 By John Rankine Leave a Comment

“The Chair Series” was my first foray into found object assemblage. Settled in 1992 in my new,  large studio at the Harris School in Key West, I compulsively collected objects, especially old chairs, found abandoned in the local streets. “Death of a Medium,” was the start of this symbolic journey – an old chair, a used palette, covered in dried up tubes of paint and brushes, a small framed picture of Whistler’s Mother sitting, rocking, waiting to die, glued to the top left corner. It was the passion and permission to give up painting and print-making and explore a new medium.  The result: a large installation dealing with personal, social and political issues of the day.  A year-long creative process culminated in 35 separate, yet collective pieces.  The installation was shown at the Harris School Studio in Key West, Fl. in 1993. Several individual pieces were later shown at Lucky Street Gallery on Duval St.

1 chair Anima Rising detail 2-2

Anima Rising (detail) – 42″ x 20″ x 24 ” – FOA – 1993

1 chair Anima Rising detail_

Anima Rising – (Detail) – FOA – 42″ x 19″ x 24″ – 1993

1 chair Anima Rising_

Anima Rising – FOA – 42″ x 19″ x 24″ – 1993

2 chair Junkie (Self Portrait of an Artist)-2

Junkie (Self Portrait of an Artist) – FOA – 33″ x 19″ x 27″ – 1993

2 chair Junkie detail _

Junkie (Portrait of a Artist) (Detail) – FOA – 33″ x 19″ x 17″

2 chair Junkie detail_

Junkie (Portrait of an Artist) – FOA – 33″ x 19″ x 17″ – 1993

3 chair Under The Pillow _

Under The Pillow – FOA – 32″ x 19 ” x 18″ – 1993

3 chair Under The Pillow detail_

Under The Pillow – FOA – 32″ x 19″ x 18″ – 1993

4 chair Self Inflicted_

Self Inflicted – FOA – 35″ x 18″ x 21″ – 1993

4 chairs Self Inflicted detail-2

Self Iflicted – FOA – 32″ x 19″ x 18″ – 1993

5 chair Who Holds The Power _

Who Holds The Power – FOA – 72″ x 18″ x 18″ – 1993

5 chair Who Holds The Power detail-2

Who Holds the Power – FOA – 72″ x 18″ x 23″ – 1993

6 chair Super Fly detail _

I had A Dream – FOA – 36″ x 16″ x 16″ – 1993

6 chair Super fly_

I Had A Dream – FOA – 36″ x 16″ x 16″ – 1993

6 chairs Super Fly detail 2_

I Had A Dream – (Detail) – FOA – 36″ x 16 ” x 16″ – 1993

7 chair Industrial Void_

Industrial Void – FOA – 39″ x 17″ x 20 ” – 1993

7 chair Industrial Void detail 1_

Industrial Void – (Detail) – FOA – 39″ x 17″ x 20″ – 1993

8 chair Birth Of An Icon_

Birth Of An Icon – FOA – 38″ x 20″ x 13″ – 1993

8 chair birth icon detail_

Birth Of An Icon – (Detail) – FOA – 38″ x 20″ x 13″ – 1993

9 chair Conch Republic _

Endangered Conch – FOB – 47″ x 27″ x 30″ – 1993

9 chair conch detail 1-2

Endangered Conch – FOA – 47″ x 27″ x 30″

9 chair conch detail-2

Endangered Conch – FOA – 47″ x 27″ 30″ – 1993

10 chair Baby Doll detail_

Baby Doll – FOA – (Detail) – 31″ x 10″ x 14″ – 1993

10 chair Baby Doll_

Baby Doll – FOA – 31″ x 10″ x 14″ – 1993

11 chair Animal Roulette_

Animal Roulette – FOA – 42″ x 19″ 24″ – 1993

11 chair animal roulette detail 1_

Animal Roulette – FOA – (Detail) – 42″ x 19″ x 17″ – 1993

11 chair animal roulette detail 2_

Animal Roulette – FOA – (Detail) – 42″ x 19″ x 17″ – 1993

12 chair Birth And Death _

Birth And Death – FOA – 26″ x 29″ x 14″ – 1993

13 chair Dali (The Devil Himself)  1_

Dali (The Devil Himself) – FOA – 62″ x 14″ x 17″ – 1993

13 chair Dali full back_

Dali (The Devil Himself) – FOA – (Back View) – 62″ x 14″ x 17″ – 1993

13 chair Dali full front_

Dali (The Devil Himself) – FOA – (Front View) – 62″ x 14″ x 17″

13 chair dali detail 2_

Dali ( the Devil Himself) – FOA – (Detail) – 62″ x 14″ x 17″ – 1993

13 chair dali detail 4-2

Dali (The Devil Himself) – FOA – (Detail) – 62″ x 14″ x 17″ – 1993

13 chair dali detail_

Dali ( The Devil Himself) – FOA – (Detail) – 62″ x 14″ x 17″ – 1993

14 chair Resurrection _

Resurrection (In Memory Of Michael) – FOA – 45″ x 17″ x 15″ – 1994

14 chair Resurrection detail_

Resurrection – FOA – (Detail) – 45″ x 17″ x 15″ – 1994

15 chair The Decline Of The Nuclear American Family_

The Decline Of The Nuclear American Family – FOA – 47″ x 25″ x 40″ –1994

16 chair Leaning To the Right-2

Leaning To The Right – FOA – 38″ x 27″ x 24″ – 1994

16 chair leaning to the right detail _

Leaning To The Right – FOA – (Detail) – 38″ x 27″ x 24″ – 1994

17 chair surrender detail-2

Surrender – FOA – (Detail) – 45″ x 19″ x 17″ – 1994

17 Chair surrender_

Surrender – FOA – 45″ x 19″ x 17″ – 1994

18 chair Remember To Pray_

Remember To Pray – FOA – 24″ x 14″ x 13″ – 1993

19 chair First AIDS_

First AIDS (In Memory of Joe) – FOA – 74″ x 20″ x 17″ – 1994

19 chair first aids detail _

First AIDS ( In Memory Of Joe) – FOA – (Detail) – 74″ x 20″ x 17″ – 1994

20 chair Feed Me_

Feed Me – FOA – 39″ x 25″ x 16″ – 1994

21 chair Betrayal _

Betrayal – FOA – 42″ x 17″ x 19″ – 1994

22 chair Quitting Tomorrow_

12 Steps Anonymous – FOA – 32″ x 23″ x 23″ – 1994

23 chair The Golf War _

The Golf War – FOA – 43″ x 27″ x 27″ – 1994

24 chair Same Sex Interacial Couple I Love_

Same Sex Interracial Couple in Love – FOA – 26″ x 13″ x 14″ – 1994

25 chair Death Of A Medium detail_

Death Of A Medium – FOA ( Detail) – 30″ x 15″ x 17″ – 1993

26 chair Under The Dogma _

Dogma – FOA – 40″ x 19″ x 19″ – 1994

27 chair Genocide_

Happy Birthday – FOA – 26″ x 22 ” x 21″ – 1994

28 chair Holocost Detail_

Related posts:

Three in a rowThree in a row

Filed Under: 1990's Art, Art Installations, Art Shows, Found Object Assemblage, Mixed Media, Period Archive

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Copyright © 2014. John Rankine Art and Photography. All Rights Reserved · Website Design by Red Buffalo Studios

If you would like to use photographs of John's art in your blog, article or publication, please email us for permission first.

We simply require full attribution and a link to our website in return for usage. John's Artwork or photography may not be printed or re-sold in accordance with state and federal law.