Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Furniture, Room 133, The Dr Susan Weber Gallery

Single Block Seat

Seat
2004 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The Single Block Seat is hewn from a single block of unseasoned burr oak. The makers have simply pared away a concave section on top of the block to make a surprisingly comfortable place to sit. The cracks and splits in the wood occur naturally as the timber dries out, but the makers have not tried to disguise them. In fact, by charring the whole surface of the seat, they draw our attention to the beauty of the wood in its natural condition. They have taken a minimal approach to creating a monumental piece of furniture, achieving maximum effect. Partridge and Walmsley have made several variations of the Single Block Seat, and most of them sit in public places like gardens and canal paths.


Object details

Category
Object type
TitleSingle Block Seat (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Burr oak, hewn and charred
Brief description
Single Block Seat, charred burr oak, designed and made by Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley, Shropshire, 2004
Physical description
The seat is carved from a solid block of unseasoned (green) burr oak using chainsaws and power sanders. The piece was left to dry; the process of cracking up inevitably happens as baulks of timber season.
The block is then scorched hard with a blow torch and the soot removed. This burning process hardens the surface and accentuates the grain as the spring growth burns out more easily. After all soot has been removed the surface is waxed.

Dimensions
  • Width: 71cm
  • Height: 45cm
  • Depth: 35cm
  • Seat height: 37cm
Gallery label
  • 103-106 SINGLE BLOCK SEAT Designed and made by Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley Charred burr oak British, 2004 The Single Block Seat is hewn from a single block of unseasoned burr oak. The cracks and splits occur naturally as the timber dries out and by charring the whole surface of the seat, the makers draw attention to the beauty of the wood in its natural condition. There are several variations of the Single Block Seat, and most of them sit in public places like gardens and canal paths. W.1-2005(12/07/2006)
  • ‘Single Block Seat’ 2004 Designed and made by Jim Partridge (born 1953) and Liz Walmsley (born 1952) England (Shropshire) Burr oak, scorched and waxed Museum no. W.1-2005 Dug-out furniture is carved from a solid block of wood. It usually produces furniture that is massive, heavy and very robust, such as chests that needed be secure and immobile. For this seat, a single block of unseasoned oak was carved with a chainsaw and power sanders. The surface was then scorched with a blow torch, cleaned and waxed.(01/12/2012)
Credit line
Copyright Jim Partridge & Liz Walmsley
Production
Jointly made piece by Jim Partridge and Liz Walmsley
Summary
The Single Block Seat is hewn from a single block of unseasoned burr oak. The makers have simply pared away a concave section on top of the block to make a surprisingly comfortable place to sit. The cracks and splits in the wood occur naturally as the timber dries out, but the makers have not tried to disguise them. In fact, by charring the whole surface of the seat, they draw our attention to the beauty of the wood in its natural condition. They have taken a minimal approach to creating a monumental piece of furniture, achieving maximum effect. Partridge and Walmsley have made several variations of the Single Block Seat, and most of them sit in public places like gardens and canal paths.
Collection
Accession number
W.1-2005

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdMarch 31, 2005
Record URL
Download as: JSON