isamu noguchi
biography Isamu Noguchi (1904–1988) was one of the twentieth century’s most important and critically acclaimedsculptors. Through a lifetime of artistic experimentation, he created sculptures, gardens, furniture and lighting designs, ceramics, architecture, and set designs. His work, at once subtle and bold, traditional and modern, set a new standard for the reintegration of the arts. Noguchi, an internationalist , traveled extensively throughout his life. He discovered the impact of largescale public works in Mexico, earthy ceramics and tranquil gardens in Japan, subtle ink-brush techniques in China, and the purity of marble in Italy. He incorporated all of these impressions into his work, which utilized a wide range of materials, including stainless steel, marble, cast iron, balsa wood, bronze, sheet aluminum, basalt, granite, and water.
protoype chair This is a small chair, a twentieth- century jewel, designed by Isamu Noguchi for the William A. M. Residence. This beautiful rectilinear chair, completed in 1947, was built to go around
Noguchi’s finished dining table for the summer residence. It was originally rejected by the owner and was replaced by the Ray and Eames DCM Chair. It is considered a classic today.
noguchi table Isamu Noguchi created his distinctive table by joining a curved, wood base with a freeform glass top. The ethereal result does not diminish the practical design—a sturdy and durable table.
This marriage of sculptural form and everyday function has made the Noguchi table an understated and beautiful element in homes and offices since its introduction in 1948.
rocking stool The Rocking Stools are fun to sit on, combining playful and ergonomic aspects. Their cambered bases allow the stools to rock gently in all directions, protected by a contoured edge and
a plastic support. Made in 1954, Isamu Noguchi decided on a combination of more traditional materials: wood for the seat and foot, and chrome-plated steel rods for the central support.
rudder table An updated archival piece from 1949, the Noguchi Rudder Table is a sculptural and deceptively simple coffee table designed by Isamu Noguchi. It stands on two chrome hairpin legs and one in
wood reminiscent of a ship’s rudder. Graceful and visually light, the table has Trivalent chrome steel legs that offer a pleasing contrast to the natural look of the rudder and top.
the freeform sofa & companion ottoman The sculptural quality of Noguchi’s design vocabulary finds expression in the 1950 Freeform Sofa: like an enlarged sculpture of flat, rounded river
stones. The slender organic forms are fluid and graceful.The sofa is suitable not only for use in living spaces, but also in lobbies, hotels and retail shops
chess table Chess - a game that can showcase both intellectual precision and transcendent leaps of brilliance. In 1944 Isamu Noguchi turned his creative attention to design a chess table, and
the result demonstrates those same virtuoso traits. This example is rendered in lustrous ebonized birch and a painted cast-aluminum tray beneath the tabletop, with the playing set.
prismatic table The aluminum Prismatic Table (1957), the last piece of furniture Noguchi designed, is a true example of the blend of functional and fine art objects out of metal . Evoking the Japanese art
of origami, the table features carefully bent and folded angles that lend dimension and a sense of solidity to the design. Small but sturdy, it’s a crisp and classic side or end table.
http://www.noguchi.org/