Wendell Castle at Chanel in Paris

This is Peter Marino’s recently completed project for Chanel on Avenue Montaigne in Paris. The interior features Wendell Castle’s gilt-fibreglass Triad chairs (2006).  The master prototype of this design was acquired by Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum in 2008.

It’s aggressively voluptuous and exaggerated form seems to lurch through the space that is otherwise decorated with monochrome rectilinear patterns and fashion.  Castle is known for his organic and even slightly surreal tendencies.  This chair reflects the most feminine aspect of this interior and upstages the understated elegance of the clothes. Maybe that is why we found it pushed back into a corner when we recently visited the store.  

Chanel and Wendell Castle … a good match?

Functional Sculpture - Wendell Castle and Rem Koolaas

Functional Sculpture.

Last fall we blogged about Wendell Castle’s unique wall table #16, 1969, which was on view in Wandering Forms and Works from 1959-1979 at the Aldwich Contemporary Art Museum in Connecticut.

This table grabbed our imaginations as it evokes the idea of being outside with it’s tree-inspired form and epitomizes civility at the same time as a side table. The idea of living with functional forms that cross the boundaries of traditional furniture and sculpture is enlightening.

We were reminded of this piece upon seeing Rem Koolhaas purched on one of his  “Tools for Life,” which his firm, OMA, designed for Knoll and presented in Milan a couple of weeks ago. The Tools for Life range is based on the idea that furniture should be understood as a high-performance instrument rather than a design statement. This piece is adjustable according to needs of contemporary lifestyles. It’s a screen, a chair, a shelf … I’m not convinced of it’s true efficiency but the idea of objects adapting to the various needs of the user, all-the-while making an artistic statement, is intriguing.

Although these two pieces were conceived to achieve different goals and very different ideals during two very different periods in time, they both open up our minds to conceiving of functional interiors that eschew the heavy  boundaries imposed by traditional furniture.  How exciting!! 

Are you inspired by this concept?

Phillips Contemporary Art and Design Sale, New York 7 March 2013

This Black Edition 'Big Table' from the 'Molar Series' (2007) by Wendell Castle sold at $74,500 within its estimate of $60,000-80,000 in the Phillips Contemporary Art and Design Sale in New York last night.
Crafted in plastic and reinforced with gel-coated fibreglass, the biomorphic shapes in gleaming black are pared right down to the very simplest of forms, enhancing Castle's perpetual exploration of volume and monumental solidity.
His sixties-era Molar Tables were made in 'Pop' vibrant colors using the original molds from a kit car manufacturer in Buffalo but we think this reissue in black feels more contemporary. "It makes them more modern...there's such clarity in black", says Castle.
3 from the edition of 8 + 2 artist's proofs

Wendell Castle

Wendell Castle’s unique wall table #16, 1969 is on view in Wandering Forms and Works from 1959-1979 at the Aldwich Contemporary Art Museum starting on the 19th October.

This table grabbed our imaginations as it evokes the idea of being outside with it’s tree-inspired form and epitomizes civility at the same time as a side table. I imagine sitting in a comfortable chaise in front of this sculpture and one of my children being perched on the ‘branch’ behind me looking over my shoulder as I read a story. Of course the pages are lit by the soft glow of a Bouillotte lamp on the flat part of the tree branch.