Sit yourself down my dear, in your favorite chair, do not fret, do not sweat, for all you cherish is beneath your seat.
Kitchen Chair 16x16x32"
The crème de la crème is from the 1988 Harry N. Abrams, Inc “397 Chairs” collection. The “Kitchen Chair” by artist Sylvia Netzer. The chair is made of steel tubes, silicon and found objects.
The almighty chair we all take for granted is not always what we expect. For the last two weeks we have discussed the talented, think-out-of-the-box, architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. His architecture reached new heights (oops, an unintended pun) of creativity and function. He designed the interior to reflect the exterior in design, use of materials and function. His seating was accommodating, but uncomfortable with its too deep seats and too stiff backs.
Dining Chair Robie House
All seating must have some pitch to the backs to allow for butt space. But not too much then you will see dangling feet. It is important when getting seating to test your best not only for pretty, but also for fitting your purpose.
Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect of Horizontality, designed this dining chair for the FLW Robie House in Hyde Park, Chicago. See what I mean by back pitch in the drawings below.
The Boynton Dining Chairs now being manufactured by Copeland were designed for the E. E. Boynton House in Rochester, New York. Mr. Boynton wanted comfortable seating for his guests, so Wright designed a chair back with a compound curve in it that would support a person’s shoulders and give lumbar support for the lower back. Lacking the technology to actually create the compound curved panel, the design was relegated to Wright’s archives for the last 100 years.
Let’s take a last long look at a really comfortable chair. The good old Club Chair.
With James permission here he is in his fav chair…James Kaston, of Remains Lighting, NYC with his cat, Pinky, in his antiques-filled apartment in Stuyvesant Town. Besides his Pinky, the cat who has gone on to pinky heaven, James loves his Napoleon III chair. Can you see enough to get the idea of comfort for your weary soul, pardon, I mean seat?
Have you experienced seating that you can’t wait to get out of and run away as fast as you can? Like, how many of you sit and relax at White Castle, like our stockbroker friend who couldn’t fit?
Until next week…more U-know…wrapped around another story.
Gail, I love the “found items” chair. Makes me want to raid my recycling bin and build a set for the kitchen — except that would mean people would know what my family eats for junk food! I guess I’ll just admire it in pictures rather than try to duplicate it. Please let us know if James is going to get a Discovery Channel special (I love Discovery Channel!) — I can’t wait to see more of that apartment. I would hate to be the one who has to dust it, but what a fascinating place to “visit.” Thanks for another great post, Gail. I always learn something, or a few things, interesting.
And Pinky was adorable!
Thanks Susannnah for the reply. The chair can be sat upon but do not lean back. James is a talented decorator in NYC. It will be fun to see the article when it comes out.
The artist said she has the chair in her studio. You are creative aren’t you? I think raiding your recycle bin and giving that stuff another life is a great idea! Good for you.
Oh, I love that cat! Pinky was a cutie. And what a great apartment. A whole room of treaures to browse.
I can see what you mean about the chair with no butt space. 😉
Katy, thanks for stopping by. Have a great weekend.
Your wonderful friend James definitely has more Victorian than modern taste but there’s something really enticing about rooms full of books and art and collectibles along with comfy chairs to sit and enjoy them all. Add a cat, and it’s irresistible. How can I wrangle an invitation to tea?
As for Sylvia’s chair, I love it, and the humor behind it. I don’t think it was ever intended for sitting though. Isn’t it funny how iconic the chair form has become? It’s almost like a human body in the way it is used now for artistic expression.
Victoria, thank you for stopping by. You are so right. The chair is iconic, from the get-go, sitting for a King, and standing for peasants. A throne as a toilet, but only for royalty. It is a trip to study. Even today, the executive chair, the host and hostess chair, chairs for the elite in sports arenas, chairs that are ergonomic. Stools for staff. President’s chair, secretary chair. visitor chairs, movable chairs, chairs on wheels, chairs on slide bases. Yikes, i haven’t even begun to add them up. it is fun, the chair journey. Icon it is!
James has collections that are being reviewed for airing on the discovery channel.
Recently sat in a beautiful room on a beautiful chair that was so dang uncomfortable that my legs went numb in a matter of moments. Art for art’s sake? Not for me! Give me a comfy chair any day. 🙂
Ha! that’s mouthful. There are more uncomfortable chairs than we can imagine. Thanks for popping in Kristan.
Hey, Tom finished “Until There Was You” he loved it. I am immersed. I will send you an email. Something funny.
Hey, it’s boxes and steel tubing. I am not sure you can really sit in it. Fun though isn’t it? And the chair that’s holding the man and his cat is wonderful and so is the man, he is adorable. The NY Times is doing a story on his collections, and that’s just after they did a dust story. Yup, a story about dust. Would you believe? Thanks.
Yikes! Is that first picture a chair made out of boxes? Although quite interesting, that chair would’t hold much weight. I would have to cast my vote for the comfortable chair. PS – love the cat!