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Label Text Like many artists of the 1960s, Scott Burton was interested in blurring the line between art and everyday life. His approach to achieving this was to make sculptures that function as furniture and place these pieces in public spaces where people would be invited to use them. His artwork begins with refined, immaculately constructed furniture like this table and chairs, but only becomes complete when visitors actually use the pieces. Thus, Seating for Eight and Café Table I are the only sculptures in the park that visitors are allowed to touch. Two distinct artworks that have been combined together, here they function as a central resting place in the park. The cool, smooth, granite seats form a democratic circle as opposed to a hierarchical "head of the table" arrangement. The sleek lines and balanced curves of the work reveal Burton's elegant sense of design, as well as the influence of the Minimalist art movement of the 1960s and 70s. Burton was also conscious of the inherent beauty of the marble he chose as his medium, polishing it to a high sheen that highlights the grain and color of the stone.
Published References"John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park", Lea Rosson DeLong, ed., Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines, Iowa, 1923, pp. 38-41
DimensionsOverall (Chairs): 32 × 34 × 18 in. (81.3 × 86.4 × 45.7 cm)
Stone (Each Piece): 1632 lb. (740.3 kg.)
Accession Number 2015.6.a-.h
Classificationssculpture
CopyrightARS
ProvenanceMax Protetch; John and Mary Pappajohn [purchased from previous, 1989]; Des Moines Art Center [gift from previous, 2015]

Images (1)

Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines

Audio (2)

Seating for Eight
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Scott Burton
designed 1984, fabricated 1992
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Scott Burton
1986
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Scott Burton
designed 1986, fabricated 1987
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Constantin Brancusi
1912-1913
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Richard Serra
1989
#1 Aerial view of Greenwood Pond: Double Site
Photographed by: Farshid Assassi (October 1996)
 ...
Mary Miss
1989-1996
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Joyce J. Scott
2018
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
William Tucker
1985
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Judith Shea
1990
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Joel Shapiro
1985
Photo Credit: Rich Sanders, Des Moines
Tony Smith
1961, fabricated 1989