Paul Evans Building and Garden Elements
American, 1931-1987
A designer and sculptor, Paul Evans was a wild card of late 20th century modernism. A leading light of the American Studio Furniture movement, Evans’s sideboards, credenzas, coffee tables and other work manifests a singular aesthetic sense, as well as a seemingly contradictory appreciation for both folk art forms and for new materials and technologies.
Evans’s primary material was metal, not wood, which was favored by his fellow studio designers, and Bucks County, Pennsylvania, neighbors George Nakashima and Phillip Lloyd Powell. He trained in metallurgy and studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, the famed crucible of modern design and art in suburban Detroit. For a time early in his career, Evans also worked at Sturbridge Village, a historical “living museum” in Massachusetts, where he gave demonstrations as a costumed silversmith.
Evans’s earliest work unites these influences. The pieces that made his reputation are known as “sculpted-front” cabinets: wood cases faced with box-like high-relief patinated steel mounts laid out in a grid pattern. Each mount contains a metal emblem, or glyph, and the effect is that of a brawny quilt.
Evans’s later work falls into three distinct style groups. His sculpted-bronze pieces, begun in the mid-1960s, show Evans at his most expressive. He employed a technique in which resin is hand-shaped, and later sprayed with a metal coating, allowing for artistic nuance in the making of chairs, tables and case pieces. Later in the decade and into the 1970s, Evans produced his Argente series for celebrated manufacturer Directional (a brand known to vintage mid-century modern furniture collectors everywhere): consoles and other furniture forms that feature aluminum and pigment-infused metal surfaces welded into abstract organic forms and patterns.
Last, Evans's Cityscape design series — a milestone in the history of brutalist design — meshed perfectly with the sleek, “high tech” sensibility of the later ’70s. Evans constructed boxy forms and faced them with irregular mosaic patterns that mixed rectangular plaques of chromed steel, bronze or burlwood veneer. These, like all of Paul Evans’s designs, are both useful and eye-catching. But their appeal has another, more visceral quality: these pieces have clearly been touched by an artist’s hand.
Find a collection of authentic Paul Evans furniture today on 1stDibs.
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Creator: Paul Evans
Paul Evans Mid-Century Modern Brutalist Metal Patchwork Indoor Planter Box
By Paul Evans
Located in Forney, TX
Paul Evans (1931-1987) American Brutalist industrial modern welded steel and copper, mixed metals patchwork and hardwood planter with rivet accents and removable metal insert. Can be used indoors or outdoors, with real plants or faux plants. Includes green styrofoam blocks for artificial plant use and natural stones for covering the top.
Circa 1970
Dimensions:
26" High, 30" Wide, 11" Deep
Please note, at the time of writing this, a matching coffee table is available separately. Please check our other listings or contact us to view it.
Great original vintage condition. Strong, stable and structurally sound and in wonderful overall appearance; Age appropriate wear and tear, including minor scuffs, scattered scratches to wood panels and metal components. The black insert has fairly significant patinated weathered rustic oxidation consistent with age and indicative of use. The overall patina adds warmth and character to the overall aesthetic appeal and vintage authenticity.
Biography:
Paul Evans (American , 1927-1993)
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Paul Evans is an American furniture designer and sculptor best known for his work in American Furniture design and the American craft movement. His work was influential to many furniture manufacturers in the second half of the 20th century, most notably Directional Furniture. He often used non-traditional materials and techniques like sculpted metal furniture. His work with Directional Furniture was extremely fruitful and during that time he started several series including their Argente, Sculpted Bronze, and Cityscape series. Evans started his career making copper chests and sculpted steel cabinets -- both of which are highly sought after today.
Paul Evans’s work with Directional Furniture changed the relationship between creative directors and the companies they worked for. His name helped sell pieces, and he was consciously aware of that fact. As a proponent of modernism, Evans became an innovator in the furniture world. His patrons were often part of the New York elite, and he was able to enjoy sustained success, helped in large part by his ability to evolve with the times -- from craft-based in the 1950s to more flashy pieces in the 1970s and 1980s. His work was mostly recently featured at the Michener Art Museum and was the subject of a 2014 documentary.
What kind of art does Paul Evans make?
Paul Evans was primarily a furniture designer and sculptor. Though he started within the American Craft movement, Evans is hard to pin down stylistically. An expert metalworker and sculptor, several of Evans pieces were heavily influenced by the shipbuilding industry. As he moved through his career, his pieces became more stylistically diverse, but through it all there is a dedication to craft and function. Much of Evans work is best showcased in his work for Directional Furniture. He had several iconic lines including Patchwork Copper, Pewter and Brass, and the extremely popular CItyscape Series. In the 1980s, Evans branched off on his own with his Think Tank series. He opened his own showroom in New York City, but eventually retired in 1987.
How did painter Paul Evans get started?
Paul Evans was born on May 20th, 1931 in Newton, Pennsylvania. He studied sculpture and silversmithing at a number of colleges including the Philadelphia Textile Institute, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the School for American Craftsmen. In the early 1950s, he attended the Cranbook Academy of Art in Michigan, later moving back to Pennsylvania to work with his mentor and guide, Phillip Loyd Powell. Together they began a business heavily influenced by the work of George Nakashima. Powell worked wood pieces, while Evans dedicated himself to metal. Evans burst onto the scene in the late 1960s and early 1970s as the American Craft movement exploded in popularity. From there he parlayed his popularity into a lucrative career with Directional Furniture.
How much are Paul Evans pieces worth?
Paul Evans furniture pieces can vary in value greatly, from a few thousand dollars on the low end to over $200,000 on the high end. In 2015 a Paul Evans wavy...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Paul Evans Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Metal, Copper, Steel
Paul Evans Style Mid Century Brutalist Bronze Cabinet Handle Pull, 6 Available
By Paul Evans
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Paul Evans-style bronze casted door pull with a distinct late 1960s Mid-century/Brutalist pattern across the front. This Pull is made from a solid bronze from a sand casting that has...
Category
1960s American Brutalist Vintage Paul Evans Building and Garden Elements
Materials
Bronze
$893 Sale Price / item
25% Off
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Paul Evans building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs.
Paul Evans building and garden elements 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 Paul Evans building and garden elements, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original building and garden elements by Paul Evans were created in the industrial style in north america during the 20th century. Prices for Paul Evans building and garden elements can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,300 and can go as high as $15,000, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $4,400.
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