What’s in a name when a Castle exhibits a concrete chair in the garden of a real castle?
Concrete Chair by Wendell Castle.
American sculptor and furniture designer Wendell Castle is renowned for his remarkable level of craftsmanship and innovative use of materials, including fiberglass, wood, concrete and plastic. Concrete Chair. is a highly tactile work which has been cast in concrete, its surface articulated by the subtle brilliance of tiny mineral particles recalling ancient porphyry. With their highly biomorphic contours, these chairs invite tactile interaction and demonstrate an almost animate presence – as if emulating the fluid, graceful contours of a Manta Ray, or emanating from the cache of Science Fiction imagery. In this work a tripod base supports an organic, enshrouding seat forming a silhouette which blurs the distinctions between a high art sculpture and utilitarian design object. Indeed, the artist himself observed, ‘the significant thing about my work is not what it is made of but what it is. I would like always to be free to explore all aspects of the useful objects we refer to as ‘furniture’.’
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Sotheby’s has teamed up with London Based carpenters workshop gallery and organized an outdoor sales exposition in the magnificent garden of Sudeley Castle in the Cotswolds (UK). Many chairs and benches are featured until August 1, 2010.