Little Heavy
Chair
1989 (designed), 1991 (made)
1989 (designed), 1991 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
'Designer-makers' working in metal made their mark in British design in the 1980s. While it was not unusual for hand-crafted wooden furniture to be made in limited editions, much metal furniture was designed to be mass-produced mechanically for use in offices and institutions.
Ron Arad has produced welded metal furniture since the early 1980s, often from salvaged materials. His sculptural furniture is not intended for the mass market. His designs are made in limited editions with pieces named and priced like works of art. The 'Little Heavy' chair is one of an edition of 20. Ten, like this example, were made in highly reflective stainless steel, and ten in a dark matt-finish mild steel. The metalworker has created a deliberately imperfect and unfinished appearance by using a rubber hammer to beat the chair's seat and back from sheet steel.
Ron Arad has produced welded metal furniture since the early 1980s, often from salvaged materials. His sculptural furniture is not intended for the mass market. His designs are made in limited editions with pieces named and priced like works of art. The 'Little Heavy' chair is one of an edition of 20. Ten, like this example, were made in highly reflective stainless steel, and ten in a dark matt-finish mild steel. The metalworker has created a deliberately imperfect and unfinished appearance by using a rubber hammer to beat the chair's seat and back from sheet steel.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Little Heavy (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Stainless steel, beaten and welded |
| Brief description | 'Little Heavy' chair, 1991, designed by Ron Arad and made by One Off Ltd, stainless steel. |
| Physical description | Curved chair with beaten stainless steel seat and back rest, and smooth stainless steel front, back, and sides. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Limited edition |
| Copy number | Number 9 of 20 |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | The 'Little Heavy' chair is one of an edition of twenty, ten of which were in highly reflective stainless steel and ten in dark, matt-finish, mild steel. This example was the last to be made in Arad's London workshop, and remaining examples in the edition are produce in Italy under his supervision. The bulbous, metallic form derives from a group of Arad's furntiure from the late 1980s and early 1990s. Historical significance: The 'Little Heavy' was later translated from metal to upholstered foam ('Soft Little Heavy')for a prominent design-conscious Italian furniture manufacturer. Although the shape and volume of the original were maintained, the change of material fundamentally altered the character of the chair. From a harsh, unwelcoming and angular object of sculptural quality to a soft, comforting and enveloping object for daily use. |
| Historical context | A new phenomenon of 1980s design was the designer-maker who worked in metal. Their work lies within an aesthetic suggesting the collapse of the modern machine age. Though the surface of the material is often highly polished, it can also be rough and imperfect. Ron Arad's designs were not decorative or nostalgic; designs such as the 'Little Heavy' revealed the nature of the material and the sometimes haphazard effect of the process of making. |
| Production | Attribution note: Number 9 of an edition of 20 |
| Summary | 'Designer-makers' working in metal made their mark in British design in the 1980s. While it was not unusual for hand-crafted wooden furniture to be made in limited editions, much metal furniture was designed to be mass-produced mechanically for use in offices and institutions. Ron Arad has produced welded metal furniture since the early 1980s, often from salvaged materials. His sculptural furniture is not intended for the mass market. His designs are made in limited editions with pieces named and priced like works of art. The 'Little Heavy' chair is one of an edition of 20. Ten, like this example, were made in highly reflective stainless steel, and ten in a dark matt-finish mild steel. The metalworker has created a deliberately imperfect and unfinished appearance by using a rubber hammer to beat the chair's seat and back from sheet steel. |
| Associated object | W.6-1994 (Version) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.17-1993 |
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| Record created | January 3, 2001 |
| Record URL |
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