About this artwork
While primarily known for his structural innovations and unique use of material in architecture, worldrenowned architect Frank Gehry has also developed innovative designs across a broad range of disciplines, including product and furniture design. In an exploration of material and structure, Gehry developed lightweight yet structurally sound furniture from a non-traditional material—layered pieces of corrugated cardboard. Defined by Gehry as the “Volkswagen of furniture’’, his first series of furniture was created in 1969 from 60 layers of corrugated cardboard and designed with affordability in mind; each chair originally sold for approximately $35. The chair and ottoman, seen here, were part of Gehry’s second collection of corrugated cardboard furniture, Experimental Edges. Produced from 1979 to 1982, this series of 12 designs utilized thicker corrugated cardboard, which minimized the number of layers needed for each piece. The intentionally misaligned layers of cardboard in this series produced edges that have a rougher, more unfinished appearance than in the first series.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Architecture and Design
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Artist
- Frank O. Gehry (Architect)
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Title
- Experimental Edges Beaver Chair and Ottoman
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Date
- 1982
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Medium
- Cardboard
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Dimensions
- Chair: 84 × 84 × 102 cm (33 1/16 × 33 1/16 × 40 3/16 in.); Ottoman: 43 × 50 × 56 cm (16 15/16 × 19 11/16 × 22 1/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of The Bluhm Family
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Reference Number
- 2011.769
Extended information about this artwork
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