Wright boasts top-tier 20th century designers in Oct. 18 sale
George Nakashima Minguren I coffee table. Wright image.
CHICAGO – Wright’s Modern Design auction on Thursday, Oct. 18, features an incomparable selection of works by the best-known designers of the 20th century. Exceptional pieces from modern greats such as Harry Bertoia, Walter Lamb, George Nelson & Associates, Jean Prouvé and Carlo Scarpa figure prominently in the auction, which will begin at noon CDT. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding.
The auction also has number of pieces by Pierre Jeanneret including a Kangourou lounge chair and two pairs of Senat armchairs, which are expected to be popular among bidders.
Several pieces designed by George Nakashima including important Minguren I and II coffee tables, a set of four Conoid chairs and a Conoid dining table also rank among the highlights of the auction.
Highly anticipated among the lots is a collection of furniture designed by architect Frank Gehry from his Easy Edges (1969-73) and Experimental Edges (1979-82) series. In the tradition of modern masters such as Charles and Ray Eames, Gehry elevates a humble material, cardboard, to build masterworks of design. Gehry is direct and honest in his engagement with the material – unpainted and unvarnished. Gehry takes full advantage of the warmth of the cardboard’s tone and the honeycombed texture to create beautiful, functional forms from an unconventional material. The earlier Easy Edges pieces are distinctively sculptural with sharp, clean profiles. These designs later evolved into the Experimental Edges line, for which Gehry uses multiple layers of cardboard to create pieces of furniture that appear solid and visually dense with soft edges. Designed and manufactured early in his career, these exceptional furniture forms are harbingers of the radical innovation to come from Gehry’s studio.
Other noteworthy decorative objects include a remarkable teapot by Harry Bertoia, a Gorham Silver Co. cocktail shaker of artillery shell and a major circa ’70s coffee service by Donald Colflesh. A selection of Italian glass by Scarpa, Venini, Gambone, Buzzi and Fratelli Toso also join the ranks of remarkable modern decorative objects.
This auction features approximately 250 lots of exceptional modern design.
For additional information about this sale, phone Wright at 312-563-0020.
ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
George Nakashima Minguren I coffee table. Wright image.
George Nelson & Associates Marshmallow Sofa. Wright image.
Charles Eames prototype radio enclosure. Wright image.
Harry Bertoia early teapot. Wright image.
