I was invited to attend the grand unveiling of famous furniture designer Dakota Jackson’s first furniture piece released to the public, “The Scatter Chair.” Dakota Jackson is one of the country’s most noted furniture designers and has been successfully designing sophisticated furniture for over 3 decades. Being somewhat new to the world of furniture design I knew I was in for an amazing treat and lesson in design aesthetics.

The event was held in one of the many amazing showrooms of Los Angeles’ famous Design Center. Of all Jackson’s amazing work, the Scatter Chair stood out as both an incredible piece in its own right and as a long awaited departure for the designer. Having never designed for the public, this chair marked a turning point in a very productive and important career. The party was packed with a mixed crowd of clients, designers, artists, and media. Dakota’s son, who is a DJ and also one of Jackson’s greatest inspirations for the new design of The Scatter Chair, provided the party’s dance mix.

Dakota was a great conversationalist and exposed his innermost thoughts about his influences and processes of his art to my curious questions. I was really awakened when Dakota talked of his 3 decades of work being “atmospheric furniture”, further explaining that a large portion of his art has been a part of our lives in museums, offices and libraries. We have been living our lives around this man’s creations in so many unexpected places and yet most people have no idea who he is.

“The Scatter Chair” is a hip little movement in its own right. The design is functional, comfortable, and affordable. This little chair fits the personality of a youthful energy inspired by Dakota’s children, who are also a part of a great marketing campaign in which they target each person’s individuality. With sleek lines, fine ingredients, and timeless appeal it’s no wonder this little miracle took 5 years of design and manufacturing. The chair aligns itself with modern pop art with an amazing selection of vibrant colors that are reminiscent of a comic or cartoon.

Dakota mentioned that after placing “The Scatter Chair” out in the mix he likes to observe the movement of the piece and how fluid it becomes in the scenery. Seeing the piece used as a functional object that is also an eye catching design element gives him a pleasure as a creator that his work is a moving, breathing thing that helps to bridge the gap between cost and comfort, design and nature, and people of all ages.

The Scatter chair can be seen or purchased on www.dakotajackson.com. Check out Myspace.com and youtube.com for more info.

By: Sarah