Incollect Magazine - Issue 4

Issue 4 86 www.incollect.com Meltdown Chair: Bronze #1 by Tom Price Twentieth, Los Angeles British artist Tom Price has made a conventional chair in an unconventional way. His Meltdown Chair: Bronze #1 is made with the lost wax technique, traditionally used for casting bronze. In this case, it is made using plastic tubes as the basic form for the chair, which is then covered in ceramic and then heated at high temperature so the plastic is melted out to create a mold into which the molten bronze is poured to create the final chair. Stefan Lawrence, the founder and director of Twentieth Gallery, considers the artist’s technique to be completely innovative in chair design. “Tom’s conceptualization of melting down common plastic items to form this series of chairs was groundbreaking.” He also feels this current chair builds on previous experiments with casting furniture in a similar manner. “This bronze version brings a more heroic quality and presence than the previous incarnations.” Price leaves the back and the underside a patinated black, while the seat is polished to create a gold bronze glow. Aubrac Sculpted Sofa/Loveseat by Jacques Jarrige Valerie Goodman Gallery, New York “The objects of Jacques Jarrige are always animated, in a reassuring way, to provide a renewed sense of discovery,” says Valerie Goodman, speaking about the Aubrac sculpted sofa/loveseat in her gallery by the Paris-based contemporary sculptor and designer. “The sculpted Aubrac sofa with its subtle anthropomorphic form, generous and taut, gives the impression it has always been here, in our home, functional and jubilant.” The piece is dark, smooth and shiny, like ebony. The sensuous, sinuous structure, devoid of visible joins, is wonderfully dynamic and fluid, giving off the impression of flowing liquid or constant movement. The piece was designed in 2018 and although it looks as if it were made from a single piece of carved wood, it is actually constructed by hand of layered cardboard set over a strong, finely sculptured aluminum structure, sanded smooth and then lacquered. Valerie Goodman Gallery in New York represents the work of French sculptor and designer Jacques Jarrige, and one his most intriguing pieces is the Aubrac loveseat. In a form that is primal and innocent, and at the same time earthy and sensual, it is a study in contrasts. Jarriage is known for his use of humble materials, and in Aubrac the humble component is layered cardboard which is reinforced with a strong aluminum structure. There is, however, nothing humble about its appearance; Jarriage lavishes his works with meticulous and patient hand shaping and the piece has a burnished glow, rich and deeply seductive. Tom Price is a member of the commonplace materials/high design tribe which includes devotees such as the Campana Brothers, and clearly likes melting things, as previous pieces involved exposing plastic rope, PVC hoses and fleece jackets to extreme heat. The Meltdown Chair: Bronze #1 advances the form to a far more refined standard, the noble material of bronze conveying both classical associations and timeless elegance. Offered by Los Angeles gallery Twentieth, a leader in the presentation of cutting-edge collectible design.