mass in factories. These factories employed
a variety of media and new technologies,
such as steam-bent and laminated woods,
which were further embellished with rich
stains and exotic veneers.
Made by the American Chair Company
in Troy, New York, the Centripetal Spring
Arm Chair (c. 1850) (below) perfectly
illustrates the Rococo aesthetic popular
at mid-century. The boldly sweeping
curves of the cast iron legs and the pierced
neck rest are mirrored in the rich, velvet
gauffrage (embossed) upholstery that covers
the back and seat. This chair was designed
by Thomas E. Warren and patented by
him on September 25, 1849; Warren
adapted his patent the following year in
designing chairs for passengers on railway
cars. In both designs, the stationary seat
and back assembly “float” above quadruped
legs through the use of eight iron springs
radially arrayed from the central support
post. The Centripetal Spring Arm Chair can
move laterally as well as vertically, through
a subtle shift in weight of the sitter.
Fast forwarding 100 years, Charles and
Ray Eames’ LCW (Lounge Chair Wood)
(c. 1945) is similar to the Centripetal Arm
Chair, principally in the use of laminated
and molded woods. Hailed by Time
magazine as the “Chair of the Century,”
the LCW was praised for its compact and
lightweight design. This appealed to a postwar rising middle class and a subsequent
Baby Boom generation, who were looking
for inexpensive, yet stylish, furnishings.
In contrast to the mass production of the
LCW — which is still being produced
today by the Herman Miller Furniture
Company, a testament to its timeless
design — Vivian Beer’s sinuous and
sensuous chair, Current (2004) (previous
page), embodies the spirit of the American
studio furniture movement, which peaked
around 1960 but remains popular to this
day. Its proponents favored the aesthetics of
craft and the handmade over the machine
and mass production.
Beer’s work pushes the boundary between
art and craft, between utilitarian object and
sculptural work of art. “I wanted this chair
to seem as if it had been cut and crushed
out of a single sheet of metal,” Beer said
of Current. “At the same time I wanted
it to feel as fast and clean as water in its
silhouette with the power of an implied
brutal forming in the background. The
balance and the trickery are important.”
Through the more than 40 chairs in the
exhibition, visitors learn not only the
unique history of each chair, but also how
they reflect the broader historic, social,
economic, political and cultural context
in which they were created. The Art of
Seating was organized by the Museum of
Contemporary Art (MOCA), Jacksonville
and circulated by International Arts and
Artists (IA&A) of Washington, D.C.
Presenting Exhibition Sponsors:
BMW
of Columbia
Authorized Center
FORD BOYD INTERIORS
www.bmwofcolumbia.com
&
The Ultimate
Driving Machine®
Hannah
Ronald Rogers
Supporting Sponsors:
Carla and Dibble Manning
Pierrine and Hootie Johnson Fund of the
Central Carolina Community Foundation
Designed by Thomas E. Warren (active with American Chair Company, 1849-1852).
Manufactured by the American Chair Company, Troy, New York. Centripetal Spring Arm Chair, c. 1845-1855.
Cast iron, wood, sheet metal, gauffrage velvet reproduction upholstery, faux rosewood graining. 43 ½” x 28” x 32 ½”.
Photo by Michael Koryta and Andrew Van Styn, Director of Acquisitions, Conservation and Photography
2
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