Philip & Kelvin LaVerne Sculpture
About the Item
- Creator:Philip and Kelvin LaVerne (Artist)
- Dimensions:Height: 67.5 in (171.45 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1973
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Shows very minor signs of wear.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:
Philip and Kelvin LaVerne
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: New York, NY
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Philip & Kelvin LaVerne TableBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NY"Eternal Guardians," Unique Table by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne. Early, brutalist side table of bronze. Sculptural base and irregular-shaped top with striated line texture, and small t...Category
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- Philip and Kelvin LaVerne TableBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NY"Festival" Console Table by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne. Bronze, acid-etched and patinated pewter, ebonized wood. Artist signed.Category
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- Philip & Kelvin LaVerne Cocktail TableBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NYRare "Viola" cocktail table by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne. Bronze tabletop with finely-cut abstract design around a centre image of a viola. Enameled color to the top and sculptural le...Category
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- Philip & Kelvin Laverne "Peasants Plaque", 1960sBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NY"Peasants Plaque" in patinated bronze and pewter with hand painted enamels by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne, American, 1960s (signed front bottom centre "Kelvin + Philip LaVerne"). Back is...Category
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- Philip and Kelvin LaVerne "La Famille" Sculpture Art Installation 1970s (Signed)By Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NYOne-of-a-kind life size art installation, "La Famille", in solid cast bronze with father and mother and daughter holding a patinated bronze and pewter table top, incorporating an abstract design with colorful hand-painted enamels, by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, American 1970s (signed twice: “Philip+Kelvin LaVerne” on edge of table top, and “Philip Kelvin LaVerne” in colored part of table top). The solid bronze sculptures were attained via lost wax process which is extremely difficult with works of this size and complexity. As stated by Kelvin LaVerne discussing this unique work, “We only made one of these. “La Famille” is a sculpture of a typical family in which their love for each other is expressed in a quiet and subtle manner rather than a picture of them embracing.” It’s the celebration of the a family which enjoys every moment of being together. The LaVernes did several works celebrating love, humanity, and those who bring joy to others. This work was a unique art installation which resided in their gallery. A photo of of this work in the original gallery is shown in this listing. Reference: ”Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, Sculpture II”, paper catalog published in the 1970’s, this sculpture art installation is shown on page 40 in a black and white photo of the LaVerne Seymour Gallery in the 1970’s with the caption that reads “Dedicated to the highest achievement of mastery, the three-dimensional beauty of bronze and pewter created in limited editions of Collector’s Pieces and Museum Items.” Provenance: From the Collection of Kelvin LaVerne Dimensions of Mother and Daughter with Table Top: W: 96 inches D: 27.5 inches H: 41.5 inches Table Top H: 18 inches Dimensions of Father Sculpture...Category
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- Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Rare and Important Cast Sculpture 1960s (Signed)By Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NY“Femme de Menage” aka “La Bonne”, a very rare and important large figural bronze sculpture attained via lost wax process, table with hand-painted abstract enamel decoration, by Phili...Category
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- Philip and Kelvin LaVerne Arabesque Torso Sculpture in Bronze 1970s SignedBy Philip and Kelvin LaVerneLocated in New York, NYOne-of-a-kind bronze sculpture of a woman's torso in arabesque on an black lacquer wood base by Philip & Kelvin LaVerne, American 1970's (signed “PK LaVerne” on back of leg). The hum...Category
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