%C2%A9 Wendell Castle

Settee, 1968

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Castle is a defining figure in the American studio furniture movement. After studying sculpture and industrial design at the University of Kansas, Castle taught at the Rochester Institute of Technology and at the State University of New York in Brockport. In the late 1950s, he developed his Organic Series, whose title refers to both the wood of his furniture and biomorphic form. In this series Castle abandoned traditional furniture methods. Instead, he glued layers of wood into a large block, then shaped the stack with hand and power tools, a subtractive technique more akin to sculpture than to furniture production.

Castle made this piece, a rare three-seat settee, using this stack-lamination method. The resulting settee is strong enough to be both functional and sculptural, with a carved base resembling a tree's root system. Castle's later furniture series are equally iconoclastic, including his trompe l'oeil pieces, sculptures of everyday objects made entirely of wood.

Details
Title
Settee
Artist Life
born 1932
Role
Artist
Accession Number
93.9
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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© Wendell Castle