‘Cadence’ is a series of sculptures by furniture designer and maker Hugh McCarthy consisting of irregularly shaped units made from oak, stacked on one another in a cohesive manner to form seven columns.
Each iteration uses familiar shapes and techniques you would typically see in Hugh’s furniture making in a different context. These individual shapes combine in vertical sequences to create a family of objects which are in dialogue with each other, as well as the surrounding space.
What distinguishes each sculpture are the different curves, angles, voids, patterns, wood grain and the moments where components connect. The stacked and repetitive format is an opportunity for Hugh to explore tensions and harmonies that occur between units within a singular object.
With ten years refining his craft and aesthetic in Melbourne and Japan, Hugh designs and creates beautiful objects from wood, capturing proportion, composition, functionality, and durability.