460
Garth Chester - A fine and original pair of Curvesse chairs
Starting Bid: $12,000
Reserve not met
Estimate:
$15,000 - $20,000
Ended
Timed Auction
177: New Collectors Art, Applied Art and Modern Design
Category
Description
Garth Chester
A fine and original pair of Curvesse chairs
Designed in 1944, the Curvesse chair is an icon of New Zealand design. Author Douglas Loyd-Jenkins, in his book At Home: A Century of New Zealand Design, notes that the Curvesse chair was the first cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world a progressive high point in local design. Inspired by the Bauhaus and international designers such as Marcel Breuer and Alvar Aalto, the Curvesse chair marries international form to a unique Kiwi DIY, No. 8 wire philosophy. The chair is made from several thin sheets of water-glue softened plywood, with two lengthwise cuts forming the arms, laminated together in a mould and pressed until set, and with solid runners providing a stable base. The failure rate was said to be about one in five. There are no definitive numbers on how many were manufactured, but the chair was ultimately a commercial failure, and most estimates suggest less than 500 were produced. Unfortunately, a mysterious fire burnt down Chesters workshop and destroyed all the presses and production equipment in the process. This led to a change in direction for the designer who then moved on to designing steel-framed furniture.
A fine and original pair of Curvesse chairs
Designed in 1944, the Curvesse chair is an icon of New Zealand design. Author Douglas Loyd-Jenkins, in his book At Home: A Century of New Zealand Design, notes that the Curvesse chair was the first cantilevered plywood chair to appear anywhere in the world a progressive high point in local design. Inspired by the Bauhaus and international designers such as Marcel Breuer and Alvar Aalto, the Curvesse chair marries international form to a unique Kiwi DIY, No. 8 wire philosophy. The chair is made from several thin sheets of water-glue softened plywood, with two lengthwise cuts forming the arms, laminated together in a mould and pressed until set, and with solid runners providing a stable base. The failure rate was said to be about one in five. There are no definitive numbers on how many were manufactured, but the chair was ultimately a commercial failure, and most estimates suggest less than 500 were produced. Unfortunately, a mysterious fire burnt down Chesters workshop and destroyed all the presses and production equipment in the process. This led to a change in direction for the designer who then moved on to designing steel-framed furniture.
