Tom Dixon b. 1959

hand made by Tom Dixon
PETG  extruded plastic

Green is, if anything, more intense than suggested by catalogue illustration. Closest to colour in the centre of the seat. One strand of plastic at the top on the left (facing) no longer attached to the top of the back, however this remains intact. Otherwise excellent.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Tom Dixon's plastic extrusion project was initiated in 2001 as a conceptual installation with the objective of short-circuiting the whole chain of design, tooling, manufacturing, production, warehousing and distribution to retail shops, which is the current business model in the furniture industry. Here, the extrusion machine is set up in a public space and the customer is able to participate in the design and manufacture of the object.

Dixon experimented with the installation in a variety of spaces, from the Victoria & Albert Museum and the windows of Selfridges in London, to the Basel Art Fair, producing a wide variety of forms, and encouraging other designers, including Ron Arad, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Young and Karim Rashid to confront the machine and manufacture instant product.

The current lot is one of three unique chairs made by Dixon on stage in the main hall at the MAK (Museum für angewandte Kunst), Vienna, at the opening event of the Formless Furniture Exhibition on May 27, 2008.

This lot is accopanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tom Dixon.

"It was already a hot evening in Vienna, and the physical strain of manipulating 20 kilos of hot plastic, which was pouring out of the machine at a rate of 20 metres a minute at 200 degrees C was intense ... I probably started slightly hallucinating into the manufacturing process, finding a new way of working the PETG into large rolls, and pasting them together in a process akin to the way that Venetian craftsmen work with glass ... I don't think I have seen anything else quite like it ..." Tom Dixon