Furniture

Vintage Dakota Jackson post modern Art Deco style executive partners desk featuring mahogany with leather insert and stainless steel frame. A V-Shape pattern veneer top with Black Leather inset. 2 pedestal cabinets below: each with 2 standard drawers and 1 file drawer, front and back. Polished Stainless Steel drawer pulls, post, floor plates, and arced trestle supporting desktop. DJ Chelsea Black Leather, Polished Polyresin finish. Dakota Jackson (born August 24, 1949) is an American furniture designer known for his eponymous furniture brand, Dakota Jackson, Inc.,[1] his early avant-garde works involving moving parts or hidden compartments,[2][3] and his collaborations with the Steinway & Sons piano company.[1] Jackson helped establish the art furniture movement in 1970s SoHo,[4][5] later becoming a celebrity designer in the 1980s.[6][7][8] His background in the world of stage magic helped him get his first commissions and is often cited as the source of his point-of-view.[6][9] Early life Dakota Jackson was born on August 24, 1949, and grew up in the Rego Park neighborhood of Queens, New York. Stage Magic Jackson's father, Jack Malon, was a professional magician.[10] Mr. Malon learned the trade from his own father, who studied stage magic in early 20th century Poland.[1] Jackson began studying magic at a young age and sometimes performed with his father.[11] Jackson's name, in fact, grew out of a road trip to Fargo, North Dakota.[11] Throughout his adolescence and into his early 20s, Jackson immersed himself in the world of magic.[2] In 1963, Jackson began to perform in talent shows at his junior high school, William Cowper JHS 73 (which is known today as The Frank Sansivieri Intermediate School),[12] and at children's birthday parties.[13] Jackson also began to build his own props, including large boxes for sawing a woman in half and small boxes from which doves would emerge in full flight.[11] Jackson acknowledges the importance of these early experiences with magic to his later career as a furniture designer: "The demands of performance taught me how to discipline myself to achieve aesthetic ends."[1][2][14] After Jackson graduated from Forest Hills High School in 1967, he continued performing as a magician, working in art galleries, night clubs, touring in the Catskills, and giving private performances at society events.[2][13][15] When he was 17, Jackson had studied with magician Jack London to learn the dangerous bullet catch trick.[16] "What appealed to me was the notion of doing things that appeared miraculous" Jackson once recalled.[6] "I was interested in spiritualism. I was interested in things like bullet catching, things that really challenged individual sensibilities, that were frightening, on the edge."[2] He didn't find the opportunity to perform the trick publicly until a decade later at Jackson's final professional performance as a magician.[1] It was documented in Andy Warhol's Interview (magazine), in a story titled "Dakota Jackson bites the bullet."[1][16] Jackson admits that he sometimes tires of references to his magician background, although he acknowledges it as an important part of his history.[2] The Downtown Arts Scene In the late 1960s, Jackson moved into a loft on 28th Street in Chelsea.[1][17] Jackson became part of the Downtown scene, a community of "artists, dancers, performers, and musicians" who moved to the neighborhood for the cheap rent and social life.[1][8][17][18] In October 1970, Jackson performed with the Japanese group Tokyo Kid Brothers at New York's La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (also known as Café La MaMa) in a rock musical production called "Coney Island Play" ("Konī airando purē).[19] The show explored themes of cross-cultural communication and understanding[19] and was a follow up to the group's debut performance of "The Golden Bat" at La MaMa earlier that summer.[20][21][22] Jackson played the part of a "clever conjurer."[19] Over the next few years, Jackson became interested in minimalist dance and performed in the dance companies of Laura Dean and Trisha Brown.[2][15][23] Jackson credits his exposure to minimalism and minimalist dance in particular as having had a strong influence on his approach to design; in 1989, Jackson told the Los Angeles Times: For me the essential fineness of a design is in the idea, not the object itself ... In minimalism, the object is pared down to its basic meaning by stripping away all the excrescence ... —those elements that do not contribute to the pure idea.[24] Design career In the early 1970s, as he experimented with performance and dance, Jackson began branching out as a special effects consultant to other magicians, film producers, and musicians[2][23] such as Donna Summer.[6][9] The loft also gave Jackson an opportunity to apply his creativity and building skills: "These were times when lofts were not ... luxury condominiums. These were tough, tough raw spaces ... and we artists, bohemians, creative people, we created our environment. So I had to build".[17][25] Recognizing his skills as a builder, Jackson decided to shift away from performance and become a full-time maker.[1][15][17] He began making a variety of objects, including furnishings for other artists and magic boxes with hidden compartments for art collectors and galleries.[17][24] Jackson's social connections helped spread word about his work[15] and this led to his first commissions.[1] Early Commissions Desk for John Lennon by Dakota Jackson In 1974, Jackson's career as a designer began when Yoko Ono asked him to build a desk with hidden compartments for husband John Lennon.[26] "She wanted to make a piece of furniture that would be a mystical object; that would be like a Chinese puzzle," Jackson recalled in a 1986 interview published in the Chicago Tribune.[6] The result was a small cubed-shaped writing table with rounded corners reminiscent of Art Deco era style.[15] Touching secret pressure points opened the desk's compartments.[23] This commission helped build Jackson's reputation and allowed him to merge his experience as a magician and performer with his developing interest in furniture.[27] In 1978, a bed designed for fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg garnered Jackson even more notoriety.[8][10][28] [29] Called "The Eclipse", the bed was described in The New Yorker as "large, astounding, sumptuous, with sunbursts of cherry wood and quilted ivory satin at head and foot."[10] A lighting system positioned behind the headboard switched on automatically at sunset and spread out rays of light "like an aurora borealis,"[2][17] which grew brighter and brighter until turning off at 2 am.[23][30] Commissions like these continued to come in[8] and Jackson soon became known as a designer to the rich and famous.[30] Some of his other clients from this period included songwriter Peter Allen, Saturday Night Live creator and producer Lorne Michaels, Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner, and soap opera actress Christine Jones.[8] The American Art Furniture Movement and the Industrial Style In the late 1970s, Jackson was among a small group of artists and artisans producing and exhibiting hand-made furniture in New York.[5][31] Jackson and his peers were part of the "American Art Furniture Movement," a group sometimes called the "Art et Industrie Movement,"[32] named after the leading art furniture gallery of the era,[32] Art et Industrie, founded by Rick Kaufmann in 1976.[33] In a 1984 Town & Country article titled "Art You Can Sit On," Kaufmann said he created the gallery to "serve as a locus to the public for artists and designers creating new decorative arts."[31] The works on display were "radical objects" that drew from a number of fine art traditions, including "Pop, Surrealism, Pointillism and Dada [which were] "thrown together with the severe lines of the Bauhaus and the Russian avant-garde, mixed with Mondrian's color and filtered through a video sensibility—all to create a new statement."[31] The article described Jackson as a "ten-year veteran of the genre" and pointed to the "clean forms and quiet colors" of his furniture.[4] Jackson showed a variety of industrial-looking lacquer, metal, and glass works at Art et Industrie, including his Standing Bar (also known as the Modern Bar),[33] a lacquered cabinet that Jackson designed in 1978 for his wife (then-girlfriend) RoseLee Goldberg.[13] Other works from this period include the T-Bird Desk, Self-Winding Cocktail Table, and the Saturn Stool...

Iconic and original 'Tulip' dining table with a wooden top from the 1970s. Designed by Eero Saarinen in 1956. The table is in very good vintage condition, with slight signs of use. M...

A 1995 production of designer Joe D’Urso’s minimalist 1980 High Table for Knoll with American cherry racetrack top and chrome legs. Top features a handsome expanse of richly-hued an...

Set of 4 chairs in fiberglass, aluminium and fabric. Stamped under the legs. Seat height 47cm. Wear due to time and age of the chairs.

What a bold statement! Not the obligatory black leather, this Florence Knoll 72" Bench for Knoll is executed in the most exquisite red spinneybeck leather. Classic Knoll Design, fits...

A superb set of four (4) swivel armchairs of recent vintage, made by KnollStudio. Tagged under seat cushion. Metal labels underneath base. Dimensions: H 32" x W 26" x D 24" x SH 19" ...

Beautiful set of bentwood frame dining chairs by Bill Stephens for Knoll. Upholstered in Knoll KT Collection fabric, hop sack slate grey. Crafted with meticulous artistry, these chai...

Iconic pair of tulip swivel chairs designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll Associates. These chairs date to the late 1950s and early 1960s as determined by the vertical bow tie label. ...

For your consideration is this exceptional midcentury bench featuring tufted cushions on a chrome frame. The height is 17 inches and the depth is 18 inches. The total length is 3 fee...

This 1970 sofa designed by Richard Schultz for Knoll features a leather cushioned front and back, and was created with modular sections that hang from a steel tubular frame. 56" wide...

A lovely Knoll Tulip table designed by Eero Saarinen. It features a beautifully grained black marble top and white base. We acquired this table out of the estate of an antique dealer...

This 1970 sofa designed by Richard Schultz for Knoll features a leather cushioned front and back, and was created with modular sections that hang from a steel tubular frame. There ha...

Pair of Wassily sling armchairs by Knoll in brown leather and chrome. The Wassily Chair, also known as the Model B3 chair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in 1925–1926 while he was the...

A rare drafting stool designed by renowned architect and designer Eero Saarinen for Knoll, 1956. Model 77 S of the 70 series. Original light brown leather upholstery with a chrome p...

This design by Harry Bertoia for Hans and Florence Knoll is an icon of mid-century modern design. Straightforward and simple but still unmistakable. The base has been kept in origina...

Unique Knoll 2-seat loveseat with original wool upholstery and chrome legs in excellent vintage condition. Very solid and heavy. No rust on the legs, there are 3 buttons missing. 55 ...

An iconic “Bird Chair” with the matching ottoman by Harry Bertoia for Knoll. Original black upholstery. Early edition, circa 1960s. The high back design is a modern statement but als...

A beautiful Warren Platner Big Easy Chair for Knoll. Originally purchased in the 1980's this chair was recently re-upholstered in a pretty Knoll fabric. It is in the Bronze Metallic ...

Eero Saarinen for Knoll International, 'Tulip' dining table, Carrara marble, metal, United States, 1950s/1960s This iconic pedestal table from the Tulip collection is designed by Ee...

Florence Knoll Lounge Chair by Florence Knoll, 1954. Warmed through color and texture, the Florence Knoll Lounge Chair is a scaled-down translation of the rhythm and proportions of ...

Mies van der Rohe for Knoll International MR chair 256cs, Black Leather, 1980’s. The MR Collection represents some of the earliest steel furniture designs by Mies van der Rohe. The ...

Mies van der Rohe for Knoll Brno Flat Bar Armchair 255AC, Black Leather with armpads (original design). The Tugendhat House, often considered to be Mies van der Rohe’s defining resi...

Brno Chair, Tubular, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe 1930 Designed by Mies van der Rohe for his renowned Tugendhat House in Brno, Czech Republic, the Brno Chair reflects the groundbreaking...

A rare early production Eero Saarinen womb chairsand ottoman, made by Knoll, USA, 1950s. Fibreglass, black enameled steel frames and first edition feet / glides. Newly upholstered i...

A 1990s High Table designed by Joseph D’Urso for Knoll International in the 1980s. This table features a square Calacatta marble tabletop with gorgeous gray and taupe veining. It st...

Elegant credenza designed by architect and designer Florence Knoll and manufactured by Knoll Associates Inc, circa 1950s. This iconic design features a walnut wood case over six soli...

Set of 8 “Saarinen Executive” armchairs with tubular legs. Cognac-colored leather cover. This armchair with ample shapes offers excellent comfort. Featured in many interiors, Eero Saarinen’s chair...

An exquisite set of six dining chairs designed by Warren Platner for Knoll. These iconic dining room chairs would look great in any Contemporary, Transitional, or Traditional interio...

Wonderful 1970s rosewood and black base side table designed by Warren Platner for Knoll Associates from the estate of a Knoll employee in East Greenville, PA. The last photograph...

Armchair in metal and blue fabric by Harry Bertoia. Large Diamond model. Seat height: 39 cm. Wear due to time and age.

Vintage, made in 1972, rosewood credenza with original white Calcutta gold marble top on chromed steel legs with chromed pulls. Recently wax-burnished by hand, the rosewood color and...

This beautiful mid century table lamp was designed by Peter Hamburger for Knoll. The gooseneck Lucite stem is capped with chrome hardware and base. The base is 8" dia and the la stan...

Very cool and collectible "Knoll" diecast tractor trailer truck toy with original box by Winross USA of Rochester, NY, circa 1980's. This is new old stock and appears to have never ...

c. 1950s. Original walnut top with metal parallel bar legs. Extremely rare. Tagged.

c. 1970s. Wood slat bench with metal legs. Tagged.

This pair of vintage mid century modern white Barcelona chairs designed by Mies van der Rohe were manufactured by Knoll International, Inc. circa 1970. This iconic Bauhaus chair orig...

Wooden sideboard with metal legs and marble top with 4 doors that can be locked with a key. Wear due to time and age

2009 production. Inspired by the surprising strength of the apple crates he played on as a child, Frank Gehry created his thoroughly original collection of bentwood furniture name H...

The adjustable Model 242 MR Chaise Lounge was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1927. Produced in 1980 by Knoll International in the USA, with Brown leather and a chrome steel ...

Pair of Florence Knoll lounge chairs designed in 1954 for the Lounge collection by Florence Knoll Bassett for Knoll International. New cognac-colored upholstery!

Two incredible Charles Pollock for Knoll executive chairs in a rare cranberry-red mohair, labeled and dated 1974. These are midcentury modern classics, super comfortable and in stell...

One of the most recognized objects of the last century, and an icon of the modern movement, the Barcelona Chair. Available now, a pair of vintage caramel tan Barcelona chairs designe...

A beautiful example of an iconic design, this tulip table by Eero Saarinen is just stunning in this combination of a black base with a light oak top. Impressed on the base Knoll, and...

Preben Fabricius lounge chair in black aniline leather, original leather upholstery. Frame of dark chromed steel. Model 710, made by Walter Knoll.

The polished nickel coffee table was designed by Warren Platner and produced by Knoll, making it a piece of furniture that is both stylish and well-crafted. The table was constructed...

Set of 2 Barcelona lounge chair, designed by Ludwig Mies Van der Rohe in 1929 and manufactured by Knoll International in 1972. Made of chromed steel and leather. Excellent vintage co...

Fantastic design by Warren Platner for Knoll, such a iconic form. Table is in excellent vintage condition with minimal wear. Glass is near perfection and fits snug on the top. 15.75 ...

This set of eight bentwood oak dining armchairs by Don Pettit for Knoll, circa 1970s, epitomizes the elegance of mid-century modern design. Model 1105 is a testament to the ingenuity...

Pair of iconic Mid Century architectural design, from recognized master of the genre, Eero Saarinen. The Executive Arm Chair is considered to be one of the most important pieces to ...

Fantastic pair of Mid Century Modern Sculptural Lounge Chairs by Warren Platner for Knoll International. C1965 chairs which have a table pictured but not included and am ottoman also...

Knoll Saarinen Oval Carrara Marble Top Pedestal Dining Table 96" Twenty-first century production of the 1957 Eero Saarinen design for Knoll. With the Pedestal Collection, Eero Saar...

The Womb Chair, designed by Eero Saarinen and produced by Knoll in the 1950s, is a icon of mid-century design. Its curves and form redefine comfort, offering relaxation in any space....

A lovely example of the Iconic Womb Chair and Ottoman designed by Eero Saarinen for Knoll. We have had it re-upholstered in a genuine Knoll fabric, Crossroads in a Honey Bee color. The fabric content is 43% Polyester, 37% Post Industrial Recycled Polyester, 20% Post Consumer Recycled Polyester, from the Knoll website. The Ottoman dimensions are 25x19 inches and it's 15.5 inches tall. The ottoman bears the Knoll label from 320 park avenue which dates the set to the 1960's. The steel legs are in generally good shape for their age, but the ottoman's have some corrosion particularly on one side, please see the detailed photos. It is pictured in our gallery with a Verner Panton onion...

A set of 8 original Spoleto b33 chairs for Knoll, circa 1970s. A timeless piece of modern design. Seamless, tubular steel frame with the original cowhide leather. The chairs are stru...

Very clean and original early Florence Knoll for Knoll Associates Credenza. Teak cabinet with cream doors and maple veneer interior . Left side of cabinet holds two drawers and tw...

A very early and rare segmented topped onyx coffee table or bench with satin black T angled metal base . This architectural styled piece would fit into almost any interior room or en...

Versatile table designed by Florence Knoll for Knoll International in the United States circa 1960s. This iconic design features a solid oval walnut wood top that sits over a chromed...

Iconic Postmodern Mandarin chairs designed by Ettore Sottsass for Knoll in amazing period Uphostery original and in good condition. Black enamel steel legs and sculptural undulating ...