Pop Smart - Top drawer

(Photo: Tejo Remy, Chest of drawers, 1991. Used drawers, maple, jute strap, 60 x 110 x 120 cm, variable)

Design and art seem more and more intertwined these days, and nothing illustrates the conceptual dimension to design so much as two recent High Museum commissions. Both pieces, from the Dutch Droog Collective, push beyond the idea of design as all about static decor. One of the designs will use a native Atlanta tree to create a bench. The other asks Georgians to donate their drawers to create a collaborative piece of furniture.

Both Droog commissions engage the community in their making. And they have a collaborative element that builds a bridge between designer and audience.

I think they rock.

The High’s curator of decorative arts, Ronald Labaco, is behind the High commissioning the two pieces by the Dutch Droog Collective.