Important Design
Important Design
Property from an Important New York Collection
Tokujin Yoshioka
Untitled
Auction Closed
December 8, 07:38 PM GMT
Estimate
35,000 - 50,000 USD
Lot Details
Description
Property from an Important New York Collection
Tokujin Yoshioka
Untitled
designed 2002, produced 2007
number 3 from an edition of 3
glass, Japanese Zelkova wood
signed tokujin Y., dated 8 SEP 2007 and numbered 3/3
16 x 17½ x 6¼ in. (40.6 x 44.5 x 16.5 cm)
Private Collection, Tokyo
Sotheby's New York, June 16, 2008, lot 1
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Sotheby's New York, June 16, 2008, lot 1
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Tokujin Yoshioka Designer, Tokyo, 2006, pp. 52-63 (for related models)
Tokujin Yoshioka has a gift for generating material poetry. Perhaps a result of working with renowned Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake before establishing his own studio, Yoshioka distinctly understands the balance, movement, and sensations of the human body in relation to furniture. His designs are, in a sense, utopian—using materials to reveal the beauty of life and offer the viewer a new experience of the world.
Yoshioka’s designs are related to some Japanese philosophies, including the belief in the power of the ephemeral. Yoshioka views material as a living organism that changes like the human body. His furniture presents as an event, as he favors materials which are impermanent and variable.
Isamu Noguchi heavily influenced Yoshioka’s practice and inspired the design for the present lot. Noguchi believed in merging art and life. He dreamed of sculpting air. Thus, Yoshioka designed a chair that makes one feel as if they are floating in admiration of Noguchi, as exhibited in the present lot. Revealing the essence of nature was a hallmark of Noguchi’s practice, and Yoshioka imitates water as a transient experience of space. A similar version of the present lot was also produced in 2002 and installed specifically for the Roppongi Hills Streetscape Project in Tokyo.
Formed using glass from large astronomical telescope lenses, the present lot remarkably mimics the subtle ripples and reflections of water. As the title suggests, the outline of the glass is designed to gradually disappear if exposed to rain. The present lot is a notable example of Yoshioka’s ability to integrate his designs in space. He similarly uses material to attract the feelings and sympathy of viewers through the changing physical states of his design. The transparency of the glass blends seamlessly with the environment beyond, albeit with slight distortions that pull the viewer back into reality. One can’t help but notice the sole block of Japanese Zelkova wood which would remain if the illusion were fulfilled. Exhibited effortlessly in the present lot, Yoshioka reveals the beauty of life through material transformation.
Yoshioka’s designs are related to some Japanese philosophies, including the belief in the power of the ephemeral. Yoshioka views material as a living organism that changes like the human body. His furniture presents as an event, as he favors materials which are impermanent and variable.
Isamu Noguchi heavily influenced Yoshioka’s practice and inspired the design for the present lot. Noguchi believed in merging art and life. He dreamed of sculpting air. Thus, Yoshioka designed a chair that makes one feel as if they are floating in admiration of Noguchi, as exhibited in the present lot. Revealing the essence of nature was a hallmark of Noguchi’s practice, and Yoshioka imitates water as a transient experience of space. A similar version of the present lot was also produced in 2002 and installed specifically for the Roppongi Hills Streetscape Project in Tokyo.
Formed using glass from large astronomical telescope lenses, the present lot remarkably mimics the subtle ripples and reflections of water. As the title suggests, the outline of the glass is designed to gradually disappear if exposed to rain. The present lot is a notable example of Yoshioka’s ability to integrate his designs in space. He similarly uses material to attract the feelings and sympathy of viewers through the changing physical states of his design. The transparency of the glass blends seamlessly with the environment beyond, albeit with slight distortions that pull the viewer back into reality. One can’t help but notice the sole block of Japanese Zelkova wood which would remain if the illusion were fulfilled. Exhibited effortlessly in the present lot, Yoshioka reveals the beauty of life through material transformation.