Bodo Sperlein

Bodo Sperlein's Contour Chair is an exaggerated example of the technique we learned about in class last week. It is is helpful to see a finished product that uses the bending technique and a similar malleable material as the backbone of the piece. I found that the description of the chair given on the website related well to the in class demo Produced in elegant lacquer or solid wood, the Contour table and chair stretch the limits of solid wood in their free and dynamic forms. The final shapes strongly reflect the design process, based around folding flexible and malleable materials such as paper, to create a series of dynamic curves and shapes. A ribbon-like profile draws the eye effortlessly around a series of loops terminating in slender legs that conceal their true strength. The lines of traditional furniture has been elongated, and embellished with curves. Concaved sections play on negative space, and give the pieces a ‘lightness’ that contrasts with the weight and solidity of the hardwood from which they are made.

Designers website