Rothko chair
Chair
1989-1994 (designed), 1996 (manufactured)
1989-1994 (designed), 1996 (manufactured)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Rothko chair was designed at a time in the early 1990s when awareness of the ecological impact of making furniture was at its most pronounced. It is entirely made of a composite material called Maderón, a mixture of resin and ground almond shells developed by a chemical engineer, Silio Cardona, from 1980. The shells were a waste product of the Spanish almond industry.
The Argentinian architect Alberto Lievore developed the chair for the Rothko Bar in Barcelona, named after the American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970), and the chair's colour also evokes Rothko's work. Lievore's original design updated a conventional bentwood cafe chair to be made in plywood, but over time it developed into this one-piece chair. In fact the Rothko chair is formed of two pieces of moulded Maderón: the front legs and seat are one piece and the back legs and seat back are made as another piece. They are joined together under the seat.
The Argentinian architect Alberto Lievore developed the chair for the Rothko Bar in Barcelona, named after the American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970), and the chair's colour also evokes Rothko's work. Lievore's original design updated a conventional bentwood cafe chair to be made in plywood, but over time it developed into this one-piece chair. In fact the Rothko chair is formed of two pieces of moulded Maderón: the front legs and seat are one piece and the back legs and seat back are made as another piece. They are joined together under the seat.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Rothko chair (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Moulded 'maderon' composite material |
| Brief description | Rothko Chair, designed by Alberto Lievore (Argentinian, born 1948), 1989-1994, manufactured by Indartu, Spain, 1996, made of Maderon composite material, given by Maderon Promotion Agency.; Spanish, 1996 |
| Physical description | One-piece red-lacquered chair with four legs and a U shaped back |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by the Maderón Promotion Agency |
| Object history | The chair was originally desigend for the Rothko Bar in Barcelona, hence its name and colour. The design originated as a reworking in plywood of a traditional bentwood chair, but evolved into this design, formed from two pieces of moulded maderon composite material. Historical significance: The Rothko chair was designed and made at a time of increased environmental consciousness and was made entirely of maderon, a composite derived from waste almond shells. |
| Historical context | Maderon is a composite material combining resin with ground almond shells and was developed from 1980 by a chemical engineer, Silio Cardona. |
| Summary | The Rothko chair was designed at a time in the early 1990s when awareness of the ecological impact of making furniture was at its most pronounced. It is entirely made of a composite material called Maderón, a mixture of resin and ground almond shells developed by a chemical engineer, Silio Cardona, from 1980. The shells were a waste product of the Spanish almond industry. The Argentinian architect Alberto Lievore developed the chair for the Rothko Bar in Barcelona, named after the American abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (1903-1970), and the chair's colour also evokes Rothko's work. Lievore's original design updated a conventional bentwood cafe chair to be made in plywood, but over time it developed into this one-piece chair. In fact the Rothko chair is formed of two pieces of moulded Maderón: the front legs and seat are one piece and the back legs and seat back are made as another piece. They are joined together under the seat. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.13-1996 |
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| Record created | March 28, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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