Cheap Ass Elites

Part 1

 

What’s high or low ?

 

Cheap Ass Elites is initially an installation design, focusing on creating an object that tells a story and upholstery patterns. This part is also a critic on what is considered “high” and “low” in both sociological aspect and design. Combining mass-produced household objects and plastic items with rich elements, the installation sarcastically illustrates and questions what society’s indoctrination is really built on.

 

For this project, the chair is a perfect object in aspects of both function and

communication. The object itself represents different hierarchies and tastes clearly in its usage and esthetic. Therefore, the designs are a blunt and sarcastic juxtaposition between rich and classical elements such as the louis armchair, ottoman chair, or the styles of William morris, with low-taste elements such as mass-produced plastic appliances, common household items, working class objects etc. the clash of classes is simply shown, yet portrays the idealistic society where the rich and poor merge. The chairs are comprised of ‘low’ common household plastic objects – storage and laundry baskets – as the seating (back, base and arms), the lower part of the chair a simplified version of those stereotypical upper class chairs made out of wood.