251
Garth Chester - An original pair of Curvesse chairs
Estimate:
$8,000 - $12,000
Sold
$7,750
Timed Auction
185 New Collectors Art including The Collection of Jann Medlicott, Twentieth-Century Design & Studio Ceramics
ARTIST
Garth Chester
Category
Description
Garth Chester
An 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.
An 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.
