ART & DESIGN

Curated by Rafael de Cárdenas

by Kat Herriman

Germanaz

Architect Rafael de Cárdenas is famous for his out-of-the-box approach to design. This week, he’s playing curator with an auction for Paddle8 titled “Through Thick and Thin.” His selection includes a healthy mix of pieces by both maximalist and minimalist luminaries including Gae Aulenti, Paul Rudolph and Shiro Kuramata. Here, he shares some highlights.

1

“Arnal’s Z chairs are a perfect, honest union of structure and form. Composed entirely of slender zig zag lines, the chairs’ minimal design allows it to stand without legs.”

Photo courtesy of Paddle8.

2

“Panton created the Vilbert chair for Ikea in the ‘90s, and a small quantity was sold for a very short time. I like that this chair has a formal lightness similar to Arnal’s Z chair, but rather than using a single line, Panton arranges several colorful panels to disguise structure into its overall appearance.”

Photo courtesy of Paddle8.

3

“This chair is unique in that its form is simultaneously naked and voluptuous. Kuramata cleverly exploits the traditional structural qualities of a chair by folding and bending steel mesh to create a design with no interior frame or support.”

Photo courtesy of Paddle8.

4

“Germanaz literally cloaked an unassuming chair in a red drape to create a provocative form that leaves the viewer feeling curious about what exactly lies underneath.”

Photo courtesy of Paddle8.

5

“Here, structure is inverted to the exterior surface. I particularly like that this pieces leaves no questions of integrity to its form and function.”

Photo courtesy of Paddle8.

6

“This charismatic light playfully signals for someone to use it…. but I can’t say how.”

Photo courtesy of Paddle8.