About this artwork
Gibert Rohde’s “Ectoplastic” desk is one of the earliest examples of furniture in the United States featuring the biomorphic shapes associated with Surrealism, a global movement that explored the accidental, the irrational, and the subconscious workings of the mind. Melding fantasy and functionalism, the curvilinear work surface appears to float on top of the leg and base. Rohde designed this desk for the Herman Miller Furniture Company as part of the Paldao Group, an 80-piece furniture suite named for the distinct wood with contrasting grain that appears on the desktop.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 262
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Department
- Arts of the Americas
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Artists
- Gilbert Rohde , Herman Miller Furniture Company (Manufacturer)
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Title
- Paldao "Ectoplastic" Desk (No. 4106)
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Place
- United States (Object made in)
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Date
- c. 1940
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Medium
- Paldao, acacia burl, imitation leather, and brass tacks
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Dimensions
- 74.9 × 132.1 × 81.3 cm (29 1/2 × 52 × 32 in.)
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Credit Line
- Stanley and Polly Stone Endowment; American Art Purchase Fund
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Reference Number
- 2009.733
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
