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.
Monumental Paul Evans Patchwork Mirror
By Paul Evans
Located in Dallas, TX
A monumental and rare full length mirror by Paul Evans for Directional. Patchwork of brass, copper and bronze with a beautiful patina.
Brass, Copper
Monumental Ornate Wall or Floor Mirror
Located in Malibu, CA
A monumental rectangular silver leaf gilt & carved wood mirror. The long narrow rectangle mirror has a beautiful carved frame. An important piece for a grand space as a standing ...
Gesso, Mirror, Giltwood
Monumental Venetian Mirror circa 1940's
Located in Atlanta, GA
Monumental Venetian Mirror, Italian, circa 1940's. This is the largest Venetian mirror we have encountered in the past twenty years. It is i...
Mirror, Wood
$8,500
H 75 in W 45 in D 8 in
Ultrarainbowla Monumental Floor Mirror, Custom Piece, Greg Palombo, 2023
Located in Culver City, CA
This mirror is simply stunning! Designed by Greg Palombo, woodworker and custom craftsman out of Hurricane, UT this large modern mirror breaths a breath of fresh sunshine into any environment. Inspired by the designs of Memphis Milano, Ettore Sottsass and his Ultrafragola mirror, this Post-modern / modern style mirror features large bands of color pops that almost melt into the floor. Perfect as a full body mirror, this piece can be used as a floor mirror or can be mounted / cleated to the wall. This mirror is the ultimate selfie mirror and would be prefect used as an accent piece in a maximalist home, or a home that needs a splash of color. This piece would also be incredible used in a retail environment as a display piece. This piece could be used in so many environments, and would easily flex into any Mid-Century Modern, modern or contemporary home. This would also look great in a children's room, nursery, or anywhere that needs a splash of fun color. We currently have this piece in the gallery with a Vladimir Kagan accent chair, and a Peter Shire Bel Air...
Mirror, Hardwood
Tall Mirror Mirror with Brulalist Textured Frame, Solace
By Paul Evans
Located in New York City, NY
Discover a sculpted Silver mirror that champions one piece at a time.The narrative behind this tall mirror stems from innovative craftsmanship, utilizing a unique technique to mold a...
Fiberglass
Monumental Antique Rococo Style Carved Giltwood Mirror
Located in London, GB
Monumental antique Rococo style carved giltwood mirror French, 19th Century Height 294cm, width 226cm, depth 20cm This large giltwood mirror is an impressive decorative piece rich ...
Giltwood
Paul Evans Patchwork Copper, Brass and Pewter Mirror
By Paul Evans
Located in Lynn, MA
Brutalist Patchwork series mirror by Paul Evans. Crafted frame in variations of metals such as copper, pewter and brass. Robust and well made. Uniquely hand-torched, textured and pat...
Copper, Pewter, Brass
Monumental Scale Asian Form Bamboo Mirror
Located in Atlanta, GA
Monumental Scale Asian Form Bamboo Mirror, believed to be French, circa 1920s, possibly earlier. This is the largest bamboo mirror we have owned in 15 years in the antique business. ...
Bamboo, Mirror
Paul Evans Cityscape Wall Mirror
By Paul Evans
Located in San Francisco, CA
Paul Evans Cityscape wall mirror in a chrome and brass patch work design.
Brass, Chrome
Vintage Monumental French Gilt Plaster Floor Mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Make a commanding architectural statement with this monumental French Neoclassical floor mirror. This grand-scale piece features an elegantly arched crest and a robust frame meticulo...
Mirror, Plaster, Wood
$5,886 / item
H 116.15 in W 19.69 in D 2.37 in
Tafla Mirror IQ Monumental Mirror by Zieta Prozessdesign in Stainless Steel
By Oskar Zieta, Zieta
Located in Paris, IDF
"Tafla IQ" contemporary mirror by Zieta Stainless steel Measures: 295 x 50 x 6 cm. Zieta is best known for his collection of stools “Plopp” made through the technologist Fidu. With...
Stainless Steel
Monumental Aluminum Leaf Plaster Oval Mirror
By Lawrence De Martino
Located in New York, NY
Monumental oval hand cast plaster mirror with applied aluminum leaf. Custom-made by artist Lawrence De Martino, circa 1990s.
Aluminum
Paul Evans Mirror
By Paul Evans
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Paul Evans Welded, Riveted and Patinated Square Mirror Original Surface and Mirror glass
Mirror
Sold
H 72.13 in W 48.5 in D 12 in
Paul Evans for Directional Cityscape Brass Mirror and Floating Console Table
By Paul Evans, Directional
Located in South Bend, IN
A rare and stunning Mid-Century Modern Hollywood Regency brass-plated mirror and floating console table By Paul Evans for Directional "Citys...
Brass
Pair of Tall Paul Evans Cityscape Patchwork Mirrors
By Paul Evans
Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL
Pair of Paul Evans Cityscape patchwork mixed-metal matching pair of mirrors in chrome and brass over wood. Very good condition. Versatile design for a number of spaces both vertical ...
Metal
Paul Evans Mirror and Floating Console
By Paul Evans
Located in Miami, FL
Brutalist patchwork mirror and floating wall console designed by Paul Evans.
Brass, Copper, Steel
Paul Evans Oversize Cityscape Mirror
By Paul Evans
Located in Highland, IN
Clad in a patchwork of chromed steel plates, the scale of this big mirror by Paul Evans is perfectly suited to his "Cityscape" design. Big, bright and glamorous, our photographs fail...
Steel