Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Decorative Art
American
Look closely at any vintage furniture designed by father-son duo Philip and Kelvin LaVerne and a cacophony of stylistic influences reveals itself.
The LaVernes’ position at the intersection of art and design was the result of their combined backgrounds: Philip (1907–87) studied painting with Ashcan School artist John Sloan at the Art Students League of New York, while his son, Kelvin (b. 1937), attended the Parsons School of Design, taking classes in art history, furniture design and metalwork. The resulting merge of stylistic elements and innovative processes make for singular designs that defy categorization, striking a balance between modern and traditional, intricate and minimal, art piece and functional item. Their work was also strikingly different from the modern furniture created by Philip’s brother Erwine and his wife, Estelle, of Laverne Originals.
The LaVernes began producing one-of-a-kind furniture and sculpture in the mid-1950s out of a studio on Wooster Street in New York City before opening a showroom on Manhattan’s East 57th Street. As their 1960s advertisements declared: “It’s not just functional and not just art, it’s an investment.”
The LaVernes married a stunning array of techniques and styles to achieve their singular, deeply layered look for one-of-a-kind and limited-edition pieces. Chinoiserie motifs abound on many of their acid-etched tables, but art from ancient Greece and Egypt also served as inspiration. The influence of figurative sculptors is evident in designs like coffee tables and side tables with bronze bodies serving as frames or bases; other pieces, meanwhile, have deeply detailed surfaces and strikingly simple silhouettes.
The duo developed their own unconventional methods — sometimes to an extreme — for finishing their pieces: Techniques employed by the LaVernes included acid washing and burying furniture underground in a mixture of soil and chemicals to achieve a desired patina through oxidation. While they sometimes used pewter and silver, bronze was one of their most commonly employed materials, either etched or cast and sometimes paired with glass tops. Their partnership ended when Philip died in 1987 and Kelvin shifted his practice to sculpture.
Find an extraordinary range of vintage Philip and Kelvin LaVerne tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Rare "Chin Ying" Wall Plaque
By Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Located in New York, NY
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne rare "Chin Ying" wall plaque in patinated and acid-etched pewter and bronze with hand-painted polychrome enamels depictin...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Decorative Art
Materials
Bronze, Enamel, Pewter
Bronze Wall Relief Fine Art by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne, 1960s Signed
By Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This work of fine art by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne (New York, 1960s) is a beautiful bronze and pewter wall relief which displays two young sisters leaning out of a latticed window fr...
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Decorative Art
Materials
Bronze
Silver-Ground Iridescent Green Horse Wall Panel, by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
By Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Located in New York, NY
A fantastic and quite rare acid etched metal panel of green iridescent horses on a silver ground, Signed Philip and Kelvin LaVerne. This is one of ...
Category
1960s American American Craftsman Vintage Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Decorative Art
Materials
Metal
Laverne Etched Bronze Wall Plaque "Tower of Babel"
By Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
Located in North Hollywood, CA
LaVerne etched bronze wall plaque "Tower of Babel"
There is a dent on the bottom of left side which is not very noticeable when on the wall.
Category
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Decorative Art
Materials
Bronze
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Philip And Kelvin Laverne decorative art for sale on 1stDibs.
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne decorative art are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Philip and Kelvin LaVerne decorative art, although gold editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original decorative art by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne were created in the mid-century modern style in united states during the 1960s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider decorative art by Harris Strong, Alexander Calder, and Raymond Wendell. Prices for Philip and Kelvin LaVerne decorative art can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,200 and can go as high as $36,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $19,500.
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