“Functional + Extraordinary,”

Review, “Functional + Extraordinary,” Brenau University, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and accessatlanta.com 11/4/07
VISUAL ARTS & ARCHITECTURE: Curvaceous contours
Stylish seating shines at show in Gainesville
By Debra Wolf
For the Journal-Constitution
Published on: 11/04/2007
Three furniture artists make waves in "Functional + Extraordinary," an exhibition of works by Vivian Beer,
Erik Wolken and Paul Freundt on view at Brenau University in Gainesville.
Fine art furnishings draw significantly from 20th century
modernism. From Bauhaus to post-war to Pop, architectdesigners
like Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe, Isamu
Noguchi and Vernon Panton relied on architectural,
geometric and freeform shapes in creating interiors for their
residential and commercial settings. Utilizing both industrial
and natural materials, these masters and others paved the
way for the clean, curvaceous contours on view in this
show.
Vivian Beer's chairs are delightful interpretations of rounded
shapes executed in stainless steel and wood. She creates
a sense of continuous movement out of materials that are
seemingly unbending.
"Current," for example, is an indoor-outdoor steel chair with
a weave of rippling slats of blue. "Red Letter" is playful in
fire-engine red, with a semi-circular spine connected to a
wavy seat-back. Resembling a tipped letter "G," it echoes
the 1940s "Molded Plywood Chair," still in wide usage.
Erik Wolken offers graceful outlines in contrasting woods.
His long bench of Baltic birch plywood, "Chairform 3," is
stylish and whimsical with its lean, rectangular seat. It is
supported by sassy legs that resemble futuristic lightning
bolts.
Wolken's pair of elegant hanging cabinets takes female
form. Both are lusciously rounded with a satiny finish.
"Torso 3" is executed in vertically grained cherry and
mahogany, while "Torso 4" is a soft wash of white ash and
birch, horizontally grained. Each female torso mirrors the
other in shape and opens to reveal stacked glass shelves
against a subtle backing of digital imagery.
While every object in the exhibition is worthy of praise, Paul
Freundt's sexy, sculptural works are particularly
accomplished.
His "Swept Back Chair" in stainless steel exploits the
pleasure of an asymmetrical curvy back, a nearly triangular
seat, light-catching surface patterning and sleek, tubular
legs. His patinated steel "Attica" chaise lounge is equally
seductive, with its undulating profile, single arm rest, open
back and warm, bronze tone.
Vivian Beer manages to create movement
from material that is fundamentally stiff and
seemingly unbending.
Erik Wolken's sassy 5-foot bench
'Chairform 3' is an elegant illustration of his
enjoyment of wavy, pointed form and
inverted symmetry.
REVIEW
Functional + Extraordinary: Contemporary
Art Furniture Through Dec. 9. Noon-4 p.m.
Tuesdays — Fridays; 2-5 p.m. Sundays.
Prices: $950-$6,800. Brenau University,
Leo Castelli Art Gallery, 429 Academy St.,
Gainesville. 770-534-6263;
www.brenau.edu Bottom line: A fine
example of art furniture makes for
pleasurable viewing.
Review, “Functional + Extraordinary,” Brenau University, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and accessatlanta.com 11/4/07
Freundt's work offers irresistible tension — curves and lines, volume and space, sophistication and
approachability. His seating also appears remarkably comfortable, molded to human contours. With
allusions to Isamu Noguchi (in biomorphic shapes) and Stefan Wewerka (in combinations of three-sided,
three-legged and four-legged forms), Freundt's pieces are intelligent as well as enticing, in a show that
illustrates that functional can indeed be extraordinary.