Vladimir Kagan Serpentine Sofa Directional, USA, 1975
View Similar Items
Vladimir Kagan Serpentine Sofa Directional, USA, 1975
About the Item
- Creator:Vladimir Kagan (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 30.32 in (77 cm)Width: 110.24 in (280 cm)Depth: 45.28 in (115 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1975
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Roosendaal, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU111822052812
Vladimir Kagan
The pioneers of modern furniture design in America in the mid-20th century all had their moments of flamboyance: Charles and Ray Eames produced the startling, biomorphic La Chaise; George Nelson’s firm created the Marshmallow sofa; Edward Wormley had his decadent Listen to Me chaise. But no designer of the day steadily offered works with more verve and dynamism than Vladimir Kagan. While others, it seems, designed with suburban households in mind, Kagan aimed to suit the tastes of young, sophisticated city-dwellers. With signature designs that feature sleekly curved frames and others that have dramatic out-thrust legs, Kagan made furniture sexy.
Kagan’s father was a Russian master cabinetmaker who took his family first to Germany (where Vladimir was born) and then to New York in 1938. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Kagan opened a design firm at age 22 and immediately made a splash with his long, low and sinuous Serpentine sofa. Furniture lines such as the Tri-symmetric group of glass-topped, three-legged tables and the vivacious Contours chairs soon followed.
Kagan’s choices of form and materials evolved through subsequent decades, embracing lucite, aluminum and burl-wood veneers. By the late 1960s, Kagan was designing austere, asymmetrical cabinets and his Omnibus group of modular sofas and chairs. For all his aesthetic élan, Kagan said that throughout his career, his touchstone was comfort. “A lot of modern furniture was not comfortable. And so comfort is: form follows function. The function was to make it comfortable,” he once commented. “I created what I called vessels for the human body.”
A diverse group of bodies have made themselves at home with Kagan designs. Among the famous names who commissioned and collected his designs are Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and firms such as Gucci and Giorgio Armani. His work is in numerous museum collections, including those of the Victoria & Albert and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Because of its idiosyncrasy, Kagan’s work did not lend itself to mass-production. Kagan never signed on with any of the major furniture-making corporations, and examples of his designs are relatively rare. As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, even decades after their conception, Kagan pieces still command the eye, with their freshness, energy, sensuality and wit.
- Vintage Brass "Serpentine" Sofa After Vladimir Kagan for DirectionalBy Vladimir Kagan, DirectionalLocated in North Hollywood, CAA stunning vintage "Serpentine" sofa after Vladimir Kagan for Directional. The sofa feature two brass bases and a distinctive curved frame that give this piece a delightful sculptura...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
$15,000 Sale Price20% Off - Vladimir Kagan Nautilus Sofa in Ivory White Bouclé by Directional, c. 1990By Directional, Vladimir KaganLocated in Saint Louis, MONewly and professionally reupholstered Post Modern Nautilus sofa in ivory white bouclé by acclaimed designer Vladimir Kagan and made by Directional circa 1980. Known for his love of ...Category
1990s American Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé, Upholstery
- Vladimir Kagan Nautilus Sofa in Ivory White Bouclé by Directional, c. 1990By Directional, Vladimir KaganLocated in Saint Louis, MONewly and professionally reupholstered Post Modern Nautilus sofa in ivory white bouclé by acclaimed designer Vladimir Kagan and made by Directional circa 1980. Known for his love of ...Category
1990s American Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé, Upholstery
- Vladimir Kagan Serpentine Cloud Sofa for Directional, SignedBy Vladimir Kagan, DirectionalLocated in Lambertville, NJIconic Mid Century Modern Vladimir Kagan serpentine cloud sofa for Directional, USA circa 1970's. This highly collectable and desirable modern designer sofa features original blue U...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUltrasuede, Lucite, Wood
- Cloud Serpentine Sofa by Vladimir Kagan for DirectionalBy Directional, Vladimir KaganLocated in Chicago, ILc. 1980s. Reupholstered in charcoal fabric. Lucite leg on bottom in the middle. Tagged. A classic of postmodern design.Category
Vintage 1980s American Post-Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Vladimir Kagan Serpentine SofaBy Vladimir KaganLocated in Los Angeles, CACurved 'model 150BS' sofa by Vladimir Kagan, c.2000s, USA. Vladimir Kagan (1927-2016) originally designed this sofa in the 1950s, this piece is from a later production. The sofa feat...Category
Early 2000s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWalnut, Upholstery