Examining 'Office Culture: Bodies of Work / Bodies of Thought'

The exhibition by Jason Jacques Gallery in New York provocatively explores the intersection of psychological drama and workplace design, aiming to unravel the cultural significance of their intersection. On display from June 13 – July 15, 2024, Office Culture: Bodies of Work / Bodies of Thought delves into how our thoughts influence spatial design and how these interior spaces and built environments, in turn, shape our thoughts. Curated by artist Grace Nkem, the show contrasts public workspaces, such as open-plan offices or cubicles, with private sanctuaries such as psychiatrists' offices, where introspection and vulnerability take centre stage rather than productivity.

The oldest clay pieces shown here are post-war German works by members of the London Group, most notably Beate Kuhn. The most recent are works by contemporary sculptors Aneta Regel, Gareth Mason, Nick Weddell, Anne Marie Laureys, Morten Løbner Espersen, Kim Simonsson, Chase Travaille and Jillian Mayer. The contemporary works embody a 21st-century sense of buoyant exuberance. At the same time, the older pieces on view convey the sort of restraint we have seen as characteristic of much Cold War-era design.

Aside from the Oval Office, the best-known office in Western history is likely Freud’s—a highly functional, comfortable, and historically significant little room lined with carpets that draped over the couch and up the wall. It was filled with sculptures, photographs and prints, lined with bookshelves and draped with heavy curtains. To this day, it remains a culturally formative, highly compelling space. It is crucial to note that human presence imbues interiors such as these with aura and sentimentality.

Ceramics function similarly. While, at the start of their history, they were typically rather plain and functional objects, by the Neolithic period, human hands had transformed clay into ritual vessels and touching depictions of the human form into objects imbued with meaning.

The exhibited works contain furniture designs, functional wares, mixed media works, antique rug designs and sculptural art by Jillian Mayer. Functional ceramics designed by her dispense tape and store office supplies with a sense of whimsy—they are as much tools as they are sculptures, dreamy combinations of work for work's sake and art for art's sake. Meanwhile, her furniture eschews the idea of work and evokes the image of a body at rest. Mayer's conceptually rigorous and physically robust practice in sculpture, video and performance art primarily explores how our interactions with the digital world affect our lives, bodies and identities by shifting and shaping our perceptions.

The scene is carried by USM's Desk, accompanied by Mayer’s seating positioned in front of it. Both objects possess a slightly surreal yet distinctly legible quality, with their straightforward functions serving as a recurring motif: they silently urge, Be present, observe, and take a seat. This motif permeates all exhibited product designs, each invariably connected to the human form and inviting human presence. The desk functions as both a display to peer into and a workspace where one can sit and write. Adjacent shelves encourage exploration, inviting viewers to peer through, walk around and observe. Alongside hang Mayer's glass works, vibrant and fantastical faces that engage the viewer's gaze, floating amid her unconventional mixed media pieces akin to evolving thoughts.

Office Culture: Bodies of Work / Bodies of Thought intricately weaves together these elements, prompting contemplation on the interplay between human thought, spatial design and artistic expression. It challenges viewers to engage with the unexpected and reconsider the boundaries between functionality and artistry in both, office environments and creative practice.