Artists Talk: Tyler René Angelo Fuses Art and Furniture

Artists Talk is an ongoing series that gives artists a platform to describe a particular artwork. 

Sometimes a chair is just a chair — but sometimes, a chair can be a sculpture. Tyler René Angelo blurs the fine line between art and furniture each time he dreams up and designs a new piece. Inspired by a childhood spent watching spy movies and exploring the bayous of Southern Louisiana, Angelo constructs captivating pieces that function as both high-end furnishings and dynamic artistic devices. His pieces incorporate unusual earthly elements such as volcanic ash, and some take upwards of three years to complete. An exhibition of his design in June at The Forge was titled Side A: If You Need Me, I’ll Be in My Studio. The Scene caught up with him to talk about his furniture-sculpting journey.   

“Growing up in Louisiana gave me a lot of opportunities to be outside on the water or on the marshes,” he says. “We were always outside, surrounded by the sounds of it. The movement of everything that’s natural — watching it breathe. It was where I let my imagination run wild as a kid.

“I feel like my journey has been a unique one. Being Black in America, I often get put in a box. I used to draw and paint a lot, but would often get asked why I didn’t make more African-themed art. As if that was the only thing I was allowed to do. I always wanted to push beyond that and make art to cross boundaries and clash cultures. No boxes. No boundaries. Don’t get me wrong — I love and am proud that I’m Black. Ain’t nothing more beautiful than my chocolate skin. I just don’t want it to be the deciding factor to my life.

“It was a lot of figuring things out on my own, because there’s not that many furniture designers who also make their own furniture in Nashville. I originally came to Nashville to go to [Watkins College of Art] and study fine art to get a BFA in 3D design, which is just the technical term for a sculpting degree. It was there I studied drawing, painting, graphic design, experimental 4D, photography and sculpting. Everything enhanced the other.

“The simplest way to describe my first piece, ‘Reference I,’ was to make something that reminded me of the feeling that I had as a kid growing up, always in connection with my imagination. Something that was a mix of natural materials, but had a secret-agent feeling. In the end, I was no longer designing a piece of furniture. I was creating a piece of art that referenced moments from my childhood. A piece of art that wanted to be furniture.

“The process of creating and meditating and being inspired again led to the creation of my favorite piece, ‘Reference II.’ I name all of my main pieces ‘References’ as a nod to my belief that I make sculptures that reference furniture. I wanted ‘Reference II’ to be a coffee table that was so enticing to look at that it stood to be a work of art. Not just a space that was useless until you sat a book or a drink on it. I get annoyed when I go over to someone’s house and they say you have to use a coaster to put a drink down. When you have a small space, you want a stylish and versatile item. I designed this modular coffee table made up of three separate parts in varying sizes, heights and slight changes to the shape. The surface was molded to create ripples, curves and round-overs — like a Frank Stella painting. Its uneven surface was my backhanded nod to ‘needing to put a coaster’ on the coffee table. It was playful and drew you in, while also guiding you throughout the whole object.

“My first exhibit, If You Need Me, I’ll Be in My Studio, was a peek into my process. It was to highlight the journey of me learning how to make my own furniture. The show had furniture ranging in all categories: chairs, side tables, dining tables, coffee tables, benches, hand-forged chef knives and some graphics imprinted on sculptures. My friends, who are also amazing artists, helped me out every step of the way. I didn’t expect 200-plus people to show up for my first show, but all of my friends came from around the U.S. to support me. It was an amazing night — also very overwhelming, but it was encouraging to learn that Nashville also loved the kind of pieces I was producing. The art scene needs more furniture, and the furniture scene needs more art. I guess I’m just here to help bridge the two.”