above, Slice Chair drawing by Mathias Bengtsson, 1998 oil pencil on paper
Next time I’m in San Francisco, my first stop will be to Steven Volpe’s gallery Hedge. I was glued to the site yesterday, reading about the brilliant artists and designers represented at his avant-garde gallery. One piece that completely blew me away was Danish designer Mathias Bengtsson’s aluminum Slice Chair. The imagination, innovation and engineering is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. Curvaceous and sensual while at the same time futuristic and industrial ~ an organic form for the 21st century.
Material: Aluminium, Date: 1999, H: 750mm W: 890mm L: 750mm
“First drawn by hand and later modelled in clay, the Slice chair combines organic shapes with cutting-edge technology. Slice is constructed as an assemblage of horizontal cross-sections that stack together into a uniquely lateral profile. Laser-cut to a thickness of only 3mm, each individual layer resembles a two-dimensional abstraction more than it does a hi-tech component. Although the process was inspired by rapid prototyping methods, Bengtsson worked with more traditional materials. His starting point was to create a new form by using clay, which he then sliced in horizontal layers and manipulated digitally. The result was a surprising shape that blurred the distinctions between armrests, backrest, legs and frame.” ~ from Bengtsson Design
photos and resources from Hedge and Bengtsson Design
danielleboudrot
a thoughtful eye 