Building the Sofa

Building the Sofa

I'm originally British but have lived for many years in the United States. I grew up in Devon, and return there to visit every few years. I am an artist, with an ever-evolving practice: www.benaltman.net. My work often involves photography in some way. Recently I have been exploring three-dimensional work and ways to get viewers physically involved with my art - touching, using, operating, or changing the work.

The DreamSofa idea had been in the back of my mind since the Colorado trip, but I moved to upstate New York a few years ago and I have not been hiking up mountains much. While visiting Devon this August I suddenly realized that I could do a sofa on a beach. The coast is rugged, with many spectacular, quiet, hard-to-access coves that are fine places to sit and look at the view.

With input on text and technique from the friends I was visiting, an artist and a fine woodworker, I made a sign by cutting letters into a piece of driftwood and then darkening them with India ink.

Another friend took me to his favorite stretch of coast. We found a good spot and started building. After I had a decent start, he left me to it. I had the sofa mostly finished by the end of the long, hot day, (those rocks are heavy!) camped on it overnight...

... and finished the details the next morning: