Jim Rose Decorative Objects

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has welded together various metal pieces to...

Structure No. 248 occupies an important place within Jim Rose’s legacy as a distilled, architectural meditation born directly from the material logic of his studio practice. Constructed from steel and aluminum found objects salvaged during the making of his quilt cabinets...

Crafted in 1989 during his time at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, this Bird Head is a part of the early collection of the Jim Rose estate. The bird head itself is produc...

Structure No. 244 reveals a quieter but essential strand of Jim Rose’s legacy—his ability to recognize expressive potential in the byproducts of making and to elevate remnants into resolved forms. Created from repurposed painted steel scraps generated during the construction of his quilt cabinets...

Assemblage No.02 is a captivating statement piece. Heavy, Rough and impenetrable, this sculpture is a testament to Jim Rose's work. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master...

Assemblage No.04 is a captivating statement piece. Heavy, Rough and impenetrable, this sculpture is a testament to Jim Rose's work. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

This Two Door – Six Drawer Cupboard Maquette offers a rare and revealing glimpse into Jim Rose’s legacy at the level of process and intention. Created during his residency at the Joh...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, found steel objects are welded together to ...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Crafted in 1989 during his time at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, this Bird Head is a part of the early collection of the Jim Rose estate. The bird head itself is produc...

Crafted in 1989 during his time at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, this Bird Head is a part of the early collection of the Jim Rose estate. The bird head itself is produc...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Structure No. 246 (2022) represents a late and quietly eloquent strand of Jim Rose’s legacy, one rooted in attentiveness to process and the expressive potential of remnants. Made from repurposed painted steel scraps generated during the construction of his quilt cabinets...

Structure #168 encapsulates Jim Rose’s ability to distill his larger furniture and quilt-cabinet practice into a compact, sculptural form, reinforcing a key aspect of his legacy: the seamless movement between utility, abstraction, and architectural metaphor. Made from found steel with natural rust patina and traces of original paint, the piece emerges directly from the byproducts of his quilt cabinet process—scraps that Rose treated not as waste, but as material charged with possibility. The pitched roof and block-like mass evoke a small building or shelter, a recurring motif in Rose’s Structure series. Here, that architectural reference is pared down to essentials, with crisp seams and planar surfaces defining the form. The small yellow painted rectangle—retained from the steel’s previous life—functions like a visual punctuation, echoing the found-color compositions of his quilt cabinets while asserting the autonomy of the sculpture. As with his larger works, Rose did not apply this color; its presence speaks to his respect for the material’s history and his role as an editor rather than a decorator. In the context of his legacy, Structure #168 demonstrates how Rose expanded his vocabulary beyond furniture into a more intimate, contemplative scale. These sculptures reveal his sensitivity to proportion, surface, and narrative embedded in industrial remnants. They underscore a defining principle of his work: that meaning and beauty can emerge from the margins of making, where process, reuse, and restraint converge into a quietly powerful form. Jim Rose Structure #168 found steel with natural rust patina and paint 6h x 4.50w x 2.50d in 15.24h x 11.43w x 6.35d cm Bio Jim Rose (1966–2023) was an American furniture maker, artist, and metalworker whose work occupied a singular position between studio craft, sculpture, and functional design. Born in Beech Grove, Indiana, Rose trained as a sculptor, earning his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1988 after a brief period of study at Bard College. This sculptural foundation shaped his approach to furniture, in which proportion, structure, and surface were treated with the same rigor as utility, and everyday objects were understood as vehicles for aesthetic and ethical values. Working primarily in steel—often reclaimed or salvaged—Rose challenged conventional expectations of furniture materials. Through brushing, waxing, and patination, he developed surfaces that softened steel’s industrial associations, imparting warmth, depth, and a sense of age. His work drew on diverse historical and cultural sources, including Shaker furniture, Asian cabinetry, and the quilts of Gee’s Bend, yet these influences were never literal. Instead, Rose translated their underlying principles—clarity, restraint, repetition, and balance—into a contemporary language grounded in material honesty. Based for much of his career in Wisconsin, Rose was closely associated with the John Michael Kohler Arts Center, including participation in its Arts/Industry residency program. His furniture and objects were widely exhibited in galleries and design fairs across the United States and featured in publications such as American Craft and Architectural Digest. His work entered both private and institutional collections during his lifetime, reflecting a sustained engagement with collectors, curators, and designers. Rose’s furniture is distinguished by its emphasis on durability, adaptability, and use. Cabinets, chairs, benches, and tables were engineered for longevity and daily life, incorporating practical features such as steel drawer glides, modular construction, and discreet accommodations for modern technology. This functional intelligence was inseparable from his broader philosophy: furniture, for Rose, was a form of quiet service, meant to support human activity while carrying forward the history embedded in its materials. Jim Rose’s work is held in the permanent collections of major institutions including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Carnegie Museum of Art, and the John Michael Kohler Arts Center. Following his death in 2023, his legacy endures through a body of work that demonstrates how contemporary furniture can be both materially rigorous and deeply humane—objects shaped by patience, integrity, and an enduring respect for use. Education: 1989 B.F.A., Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL 1988 Student at Large, Welding Technology, Triton College, Chicago, IL 1985 Undergraduate Photography Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Awards: 2008 Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award, Madison, WI 2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2003 Grant Recipient for Shaker Interpretations in Cast Iron, PA Arts Assoc / WI Arts Board 2003 Arts/Industry Residency Program for Visual Artists, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Solo Exhibitions: 2023 CODA Final Show, Gallery VICTOR, Chicago, IL 2017 New Work, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2012 Simply Steel, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2007 Variation, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003 New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2000 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Hands and Heart to Steel III, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL National Exhibitions: 2023 Intersect Palm Springs, Gallery VICTOR, Palm Springs Convention Center, CA 2017 - 2018 SOFA Chicago – Gallery Victor Armendariz 1995 - 2016 SOFA Chicago, New York, Palm Beach - Ann Nathan Gallery 2011 - 2002 Art Chicago - Ann Nathan Gallery Group Exhibitions: 2022 Wunderkammer: Victor's Cabinet of Curiosities – 5th Anniversary Special Exhibit, Gallery VICTOR, Chicago, IL 2017 Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2017 Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2016 Form Follows Function: The Intersection of Art and Craft, The Hardy Gallery...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of spare parts come together ...

Structure No. 222 occupies a quietly pivotal place within Jim Rose’s legacy, embodying his ability to extract meaning from the margins of his own making process. Created from found s...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has welded together various washers and cyl...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has welded together various washers, nuts, ...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Using entirely found and collected steel objects, this sculpture shows the beauty of repurposed steel. Meticulously crafted, artist Jim Rose was a master welder as well as artistic c...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of found steel is reworked and...

Known for his steel furniture, Jim Rose was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has paired various repurposed finds together to create...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here, a beautifully rusted tobacco box, a steel egg...

Structure No. 220 captures a particularly architectural and exploratory dimension of Jim Rose’s legacy, revealing how his furniture practice naturally expanded into sculptural inquir...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of found steel is reworked whi...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of spare parts come together ...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of spare parts come together ...