Sculpted scraps

The origins of the everyday objects that surround us — what they are made of and how they are produced — are of little concern to most people. This is because nearly all items are industrially manufactured for efficiency and affordability, resulting in a lack of anomalies or unique features. James McCamy challenges this relationship with a furniture collection crafted from discarded construction materials, which he sculpts into functional and ergonomic objects using primitive fabrication techniques. Inaccuracies and tool marks reveal the hand of the maker, serving as tangible traces of human presence. By juxtaposing discarded materials — plastic, wood, styrofoam, resin and more — with household goods, McCamy confronts users with the pervasive waste of consumer culture while presenting a more thoughtful and visually engaging alternative.