Karl Springer, Freeform Coffee Table, United States, 1994

Name: Karl Springer, Freeform Coffee Table, United States, 1994
Brand: Karl Springer
Price: 25000 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Karl Springer's voracious appetite for design knowledge can be seen in his work, which is influenced by a wide variety of aesthetics, from the more contemporary Bauhaus, to those of ancient China and the Ashanti of Africa. His primary aesthetic influence, however, was Art Deco, and his work is heavily indebted to its greats, like Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank. His work possesses the beautiful simplicity of their simple forms, and incorporates, like theirs, exotic and luxurious materials. Springer's quest for high quality imbued his work with an unrivaled sense of scale and proportion, and his attention to detail and devotion to uncompromising craftsmanship won him respect throughout the design industry. His work was sought out by the best designers of the two decades to follow, finding its way into the homes of, among others, Jackie Onassis, Diana Ross, and Frank Sinatra. Signature on underside.

Creator:

Karl Springer (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)Width: 46 in (116.84 cm)Depth: 26 in (66.04 cm)

Style:

Art Deco (In the Style Of)

Materials and Techniques:

Glass,Steel

Place of Origin:

United States

Period:

1990-1999

Date of Manufacture:

1994

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.

Seller Location:

New York, NY

Reference Number:

Seller: SPRING 171stDibs: LU781329936462

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Shop All Karl Springer

Karl Springer

The Berlin-born, New York–based designer Karl Springer brought a chic, high-fashion sensibility to furnishings. During his heyday in the 1970s, Springer’s work was a favorite of the glamour set, who enjoyed the novelty of pieces finished in rich and striking materials that ranged from exotic hides and skins to lacquer and chromed metal. In a sense, Springer was a pre-postmodernist. Much as the dull, safe, corporate sameness of late 20th-century modernism prompted Ettore Sottsass, Michael Graves and others to explore new and provocative structures and materials in design and architecture, so, too, was Springer driven to enliven his creations with fresh and alluring energy and sleekness.

Springer came to New York in the late 1950s and found work arranging window displays at the department store Lord & Taylor. He had studied bookbinding in Germany, and, using his meticulous skills, he began crafting desk accessories wrapped in leather as a sideline. These pieces were sold in luxury stores like Bergdorf Goodman, and drew a sophisticated clientele that included the Duchess of Windsor. By 1965, he had established his own Manhattan atelier, and at his death he had showrooms as far afield as Los Angeles, Tokyo and Munich.

The chairs, tables, credenzas and other furniture forms Springer created are generally simple, but substantial, and often have robust, rounded lines. The appeal of his work lies in Springer's insistence on exacting construction and, above all, his eye for unusual materials and finishes. He employed Lucite, brass, and gunmetal along with chromed and polished steel, and revived exquisite finishes rarely seen since the days of Art Deco masters such as Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann and Jean-Michel Frank: shagreen (a type of sharkskin), python, goatskin, bone, horn, and lacquered parchment, as well as fabrics that include batik prints. Made of such materials, Springer’s work is by its very nature flamboyant and eye-catching: a suite of pieces will astonish, and an artfully placed side table in exotic hide will add a surprising spark.

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