Chair Chick

Archive for

January 2010

 

A Rendezvous with Shlomo Harush at Industry Gallery

Media_http4bpblogspot_vzmlq
There's a new gallery in Washington, D.C., and the programming has gotten off to a terrific start with an inaugural exhibition by Shlomo Harush titled "Round the Corner." Chair Chick asked the Jerusalem-born artist, who will be showing at Industry Gallery through March 6, about his inspiration: "For me, creative activity is not something I can force: it’s a necessity," he says. "When I did the car in 2006 it wasn’t because I wanted to make an aluminum car, per se, it’s because I wanted to make mobile sculpture. I also wanted to integrate that sculpture into real life by driving it on the road, which helped re-contextualize this ordinary form of transportation. I cannot name specific people or things that directly inspire me, but I can say things I encounter in my daily life informs what I create as an artist. I like to take very obvious and daily objects, such as the basic chair that has been around for thousands of years, and redefine them: this recreates their context and changes the way people experience and understand them.”

"Round the Corner" features 20 unique hand-crafted stainless steel and aluminum works that examine different sculptural aspects of conventional seating units. Harush has arranged the work in an urban tableau within the gallery's 4,300-square-foot industrial space. The exhibition includes "Rendez-vous," which is shown. It has me dreaming of my trip to Paris in a few weeks. I'll be searching for lots of amazing chairs while I'm there and will bring you the full report shortly after. Au revoir!

Filed under  //   Industry Gallery   Rendezvous Chair   Shlomo Harush  
Posted January 29, 2010
 

That's My Kind of Chair!

Media_http4bpblogspot_hfcfi

Mark Sexton's and Ron Krueck's Chicago Chair from untitled No. 1, will be on view at Sebastian + Barquet beginning this Thursday, January 21st (2010), when the opening reception for "Precious Metals" will take place from 6pm to 8pm. The mirror-polished stainless steel, brass, and upholstery stunner was designed by the architectural duo in 1987.

Krueck visited art museums when he was young and was encouraged to draw. He went on to study architecture at the Illinois Institute of Technology, receiving a B.A. in 1970. Sexton is also an IIT graduate. He worked for the Chicago firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill before founding Krueck + Sexton with Krueck in 1991. The pair counts Ludwig Mies van der Rohe as a major influence and each brings a particular talent to the table in terms of their designs: for Krueck, it's a knowledge of twentieth-century art, which complements Sexton's thorough understanding of technology and complex engineering.

If the Chicago Chair is representative of the quality that will be on view, the exhibition should be riveting!

Filed under  //   Chicago Chair   Design Exhibition   Krueck and Sexton   Precious Metals   Sebastian and Barquet  
Posted January 19, 2010
 

What's Up, Buttercup?

Media_http3bpblogspot_fygtd

Just when you think you have Kenneth Cobonpue figured out, he goes and does something completely different. The designer's Bloom Collection includes this lounge chair, which is made of microfibre stretched over resin on a steel base. The flower-like profile is "sculpted" by hundreds of running stitches radiating from the center of the seat. The line also includes a club chair. Both the club and lounge chairs are available in Moss Green, Light Green, Yellow (shown) and Red. See the club chair on DesignCommotion.

Filed under  //   Bloom Lounge Chair   Design Commotion   Kenneth Cobonpue  
Posted January 5, 2010