The Superb Craftsmanship and Whimsical Organic Forms of Wendell Castle
Discover this exceptional “Cabinet” by the celebrated designer Castle, father of the American Studio Furniture Movement, presented for the first time at TEFAF New York 2024 with R & Company
Overview
Born in Kansas and receiving a BFA from the University of Kansas in Industrial Design and an MFA in sculpture, celebrated American designer Wendell Castle (1932–2018) created unique pieces of handmade sculpture and furniture for over four decades, such as the mesmerizing Cabinet (1975/2017).
Since the outset of his career, Castle consistently challenged the traditional boundaries of functional design and established himself as the father of the American studio furniture movement. Castle was renowned for his superb craftsmanship, his whimsically organic forms and his development of original techniques for shaping solid, stack-laminated wood. His iconic masterpieces in wood and in Technicolor gel-coated fiberglass from the late 1960s and 1970s have become some of the most important and coveted examples of 20th-century design.
Biography
Evan Snyderman received his BFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1992 and his MFA from Tyler School of Art in 1994. In 1997, Snyderman founded the gallery R 20th Century (now R & Company) with Zesty Meyers, which has since established itself as one of the most prominent design galleries in the world, with Snyderman as the creative and artistic director. R & Company has represented historical and contemporary design for over 25 years, helping to establish the global design market.
Snyderman has contributed to multiple publications since 2000, including monographs on Wendell Castle, Greta Magnusson Grossman, Poul Kjaerholm, Renate Müller, Verner Panton, Ilmari Tapiovaara, Jeff Zimmerman, David Wiseman, and Rogan Gregory, as well as overviews on Italian Radical design and American craft and design.
Location & Access
Programming will take place on the exhibitor’s stand at TEFAF New York. Please note that TEFAF Programming is free with a valid ticket to TEFAF New York. Registration is recommended to stay informed about the talks and free to TEFAF New York ticket holders. Seats are allocated on a first come, first serve basis.
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Image: Wendell Castle, Cabinet, 1975/2017. Oak wood. Photo: Logan Jackson. Courtesy of R & Company.