Pierre Chareau's Functional Decoration

We were captivated by this gueridon-bobliothque “MB 960” by Pierre Chareau circa 1930 at Artcurial last week. It is one of the top lots in the upcoming Art Deco sale on March 28th.

This sumptuous solid mahogany table is supported by a metal pedestal with a rolling ball foot. This foot and the hinged arm attached to the bookshelf allows it to rotate out into the room or be tucked into the bookcase. His design process incorporated the functional elements into the overall concept and lifted up these otherwise mundane elements to a new level of intrigue.

Chareau also turned functional elements such as pipes and beams into decorative ones in his iconic  Maison de Verre (1928-1932) in Paris,( 31 Rue Saint Guillaume 75007). This is the first house built exclusively of steel and glass, and one of the first loft spaces!

Another version of his adaptable furniture is the expanding ‘fan-effect’ table. There are two examples of this work in the interior image above - just in front and to either side of the painting on the easel. 

His work while very luxurious and inline with the tenets of art deco also blurred the lines between the functional and decorative elements by treating them all with the same respect.

Should you understand the inspiration? A look at Gaetano Pesce

The first Collective Design Fair in New York closed last week after a reported successful debut. Another fair - is it necessary? Some of the galleries involved are seen on so many other circuits that it does seem a bit repetitive, however many were new and exciting and the cohesiveness and concentration on design was exciting! We found the exhibition/retrospective on Gaetano Pesce to be particularly significant. 

Pesce’s work is provocative, full of possibilities and very much worth understanding. 

This is one of his first chairs (1969). The form - inspired by the suffering of women in the world - suggests that she has a ball and chain attached to her.  This is unmistakeable in the original version - the first photo here.  In the subsequent photos the ‘chain’ seems nothing more than a practical element preventing the ottoman from rolling away and the stripes are fun and light-hearted. 

Would it be important to you to understand the inspiration of this chair before you purchased it for your living room or your child’s room? Should it be? It’s worth noting that this is a very commercially successful chair!

Here is a wonderful video done by the NYTimes on Pesce’s work.

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/08/by-design-the-legendary-gaetano-pesce-on-work-and-life/

14 Billion years of light evolution in one chandelier - Daniel Libeskind's 'el chandelier

Polish-American architect, Daniel Libeskind designed this ‘el’ chandelier for Sawaya & Moroni in 2012. It simulates the evolution of light from the Big Bang to the present day, reflecting light through the use of around 2000 LEDs. Each light has its own micro-controller and the system is based on an algorithm developed by astrophysicist Noam Libeskind. The striking shapes of the chandelier are emphasized by the virtual movement of light.

What an amazing concept - condensing the evolution of 14 billion years of light into a 14-minute light show. Just imagine having this in your home!

We’d love to hear what you think of this piece!

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?

Mattia Bonetti

The imposing forms of Mattia Bonetti’s furniture are often quite evocative. The first three examples here are some of his more rigorous works, which we find to be arresting. They speak to the present and possibility and freedom without being sentimental. We can imagine them working well with modern and antique objects. The last two images (the coffee table and armoire) are more playful examples of his work.  

Whether or not they appeal to you aesthetically, this is an artist who is forcing the discussion of design as art, design vs. art etc. into our awareness and that’s important! 

The Swiss-born, Paris-based designer is currently showing his work at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in NYC. 

Do you like this work? 

Vive la Difference! Two stunning sets of pendant lights by Tom Dixon (2009) and Max Ingrand (1955)

The heavy thick glass on the pair of pendant lights (‘Bead and Top’ 2009) by Tom Dixon (top) majestically encircles the G9 halogen bulbs whose lights are distorted by the density of the glass and the ridges on the inner ‘case’. ”I am still mainly motivated by materials and processes”  Dixon has said and here references to the industrial process are made by the globules within the blown glass.  The resulting sense of volume and mass are unmistakable and are further emphasized by the slim and rigid electrical cord. The play of light is playful but grounded. 

We were struck by the dramatically different effect Max Ingrand created with these mid-century lights  (model 2259 from 1955) in patinated brass with polished glass drops for FontanaArte (of which he was artistic director). The play of light here is far more ethereal and subtle, emphasized by the oval cut-out  and the teardrop form. The blue glass on the top of the pendants slowly gives way to a clear glass. All is smooth, elegant and tapered without a hint of industrial or technical reference.

Which do you prefer…..?!

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?