Domestic Objects

Marc D’Estout, recipient of a Masters of Fine Art degree from San Jose State University, shifted his creative focus from conceptually based fine art to “functional art” in the early 1980s. He takes great pleasure in blurring the line between what is “art” and what is utilitarian: by calling his work “Domestic Objects,” D’Estout seeks to constantly redefine both form and functionality, assigning aesthetic value to prominence as part of the design process. He strives for a minimalist, refined distillation of shape and form that expresses the essence of the conceptual underpinnings of his work at the same time that its service and utility remain indispensable.

Successfully straddling the two genres, D’Estout’s work has been featured in various fine art galleries –such as the Red Gallery at Savannah College of Art and Design, Tercera Gallery Los Gatos, San Jose Museum of Art, The Bedford Gallery/Dean Lesher Center for the Arts (Walnut Creek), and the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art – as well as in furniture and design venues such and LIMN Gallery in San Francisco and the Gallery of Functional Art in Santa Monica. His work has been included in various prestigious publications, and was featured as the cover illustration of the significant Graphis book Products by Design. The Thompson Gallery at San Jose State University recently produced a comprehensive, full-color monograph to explore and interpret the past 2-1/2 decades of Marc D’Estout’s creation of works of art and design.

D’Estout’s repertoire includes chairs, shelves, lights, and tables that illustrate a vocabulary reflecting his interest in streamlined arcs and curves, skeletal sub-structures, and sensations of light and levitation. His interest in the cast-offs of early industrialization (e.g., aeronautical and automotive forms) is apparent in his graceful, sometimes enigmatic, and often humorous works. Precise craftsmanship and a thorough knowledge of a wide range of materials –including fiberglass, leather, acrylics, glass, aluminum, textiles, steel and woods—enhance the power of these sophisticated pieces.

D’Estout has actively continued to produce innovative and provocative work at the same time that he has served the regional community as Instructor at several local community colleges, Assistant Director of the Triton Museum of Art, Art Director and Curator of the Monterey Peninsula Museum of Art, and recently as Director for Art + Design at the University of California-Santa Cruz Extension.

For commissions or availability of work please contact: marc@domesticobjects.com

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