C3 Chair
Chair
1989 (designed), 1996 (manufactured)
1989 (designed), 1996 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The C3 chair is significant for the way in which it is produced. It was made using thinnings from plantations, which are the saplings removed from commercially managed forests to allow other trees to thrive. These are usually too slender to be useful, but the steam-bent frames of this chair exploit their slenderness. The steaming process simultaneously seasons the green wood too. The crisp look of the chair, derived from simple geometries, may not immediately evoke a ruralist or environmentalist ethic. Nevertheless, it is made in the tradition of vernacular furniture-making, brought up to date and wedded to a contemporary ecological agenda for sustainable production practices. Trannon Furniture is the company founded by the designer to manufacture furniture designed with sustainability in mind.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | C3 Chair (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Steam-bent and solid ash |
| Brief description | C3 Chair, designed by David Colwell, 1989, manufactured by Trannon Furniture Ltd, Wiltshire, 1996, steam-bent and solid ash. |
| Physical description | Chair constructed of steam-bent and solid ash. The front legs are formed from a single length of ash, steam-bent into an inverted U shape and orientated backwards to form the seat back. The rear legs are constructed from two steam-bent ash strips jointed to the apex of the U shape. The seat is a solid ash circle supported on a stretcher between the two front legs. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Gallery label | 'CS' STACKING CHAIR
Designed by David Colwell (British, born 1944), 1989
Manufactured by Trannon Furniture Ltd, Wiltshire, 1996
Steambent and turned solid ash
The frame of the C3 chair is made from thinnings; young ash trees removed from plantations and normally discarded, to allow other trees to mature. By specifically using waste timber from managed forests, Colwell reduces the threat to virgin rainforest. In the 1960s Colwell designed plastic Pop furniture (an example of which is shown elsewhere in this gallery).
W.11-1996(1997-2006) |
| Object history | The chair is made of thinnings from plantations, and the pre-shaped frames are seasoned during the steam-bending process. The design evolved from a folding chair. |
| Historical context | A variation, with a pierced plywood seat, is used in the offices and gallery of the Crafts Council. |
| Summary | The C3 chair is significant for the way in which it is produced. It was made using thinnings from plantations, which are the saplings removed from commercially managed forests to allow other trees to thrive. These are usually too slender to be useful, but the steam-bent frames of this chair exploit their slenderness. The steaming process simultaneously seasons the green wood too. The crisp look of the chair, derived from simple geometries, may not immediately evoke a ruralist or environmentalist ethic. Nevertheless, it is made in the tradition of vernacular furniture-making, brought up to date and wedded to a contemporary ecological agenda for sustainable production practices. Trannon Furniture is the company founded by the designer to manufacture furniture designed with sustainability in mind. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.11-1996 |
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| Record created | August 23, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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