Pair of Mario Torres Cockatoo Table Lamps
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Lopez Torres (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 36.5 in (92.71 cm)Width: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)Depth: 21.5 in (54.61 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Organic Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:Reed,Hand-Woven
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 2000
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:Seller: MTTLA1stDibs: LU86032930032
Mario Lopez Torres
In the mountains of Mexico, furniture designer and master weaver Mario Lopez Torres works with locally sourced organic materials to painstakingly craft complex and elegant decorative objects, tables and seating.
Originally from Mexico City, Torres apprenticed for his father, who was a professional photographer, and at 13 years old enrolled in a school for the fine arts, as he had by then become deeply interested in illustration and working with clay. At 20, Torres pursued a dream of designing furniture — specifically, weaving. He traveled to Altepexi, a municipality in Puebla, to learn how its artisans wove works from a wooden vegetable reed that is native to the region.
Torres sought mentorship from the prevalent artists Ana Pellicer and James Metcalf in order to learn how to work with metal, as he would need to create frames of brass and copper that supported his woven structures. Torres traveled to the United States to purchase metalworking equipment and went on to establish his own workshop in a small mountain village back in Mexico.
Torres put his hands and imagination to work — he harvested courses of chuspata, which is a reed that grows abundantly on the shores of Lake Pátzcuaro in Michoacán, and welded frames that the reed is woven around. He sold his first piece of furniture in 1974.
Today, Torres creates works that are characterized by his affinity for nature. His palm floor lamps feature woven rattan — a light and versatile material that can mingle with a wide range of styles — while the lifelike monkeys, birds and other animals that support his tables, table lamps or adorn his mirror frames are crafted from chuspata and take on whimsical poses. They create a playful, provocative presence in any space.
Find Mario Lopez Torres seating, lighting and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
You May Also Like
Mid-20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Toys and Dolls
Metal
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Figurative Sculptures
Wicker, Cane, Rattan
Late 20th Century American Bohemian Figurative Sculptures
Wicker, Cane, Rattan
Vintage 1940s Italian Table Lamps
Bronze
2010s American Organic Modern Table Lamps
Cement, Limestone
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
Mid-20th Century Thai Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Wood
Vintage 1960s American Table Lamps
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary American Table Lamps
Quartz
20th Century American Table Lamps
Rock Crystal
More From This Seller
View All21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Organic Modern Floor Lamps
Wicker
20th Century Mexican Arts and Crafts Figurative Sculptures
Reed
21st Century and Contemporary Solomon Islands Organic Modern Table Lamps
Coral
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Organic Modern Table Lamps
Aluminum
Early 20th Century American Organic Modern Table Lamps
Rope
