MAARTEN BAAS (Germany, 1978).
Shelf "Clay", 2008.
Metal skeleton covered with hand-moulded synthetic clay.
Limited edition.
Signed.
Measurements: 169 x 46 x 35,5 cm.
The "Clay" shelf is part of a collection of clay-covered furniture that Baas started in 2006. Giving the design a malleable and playful look, it has been one of the designer's most celebrated series to date. In 2012, Clay and Smoke were called iconic collections of avant-garde design by the New York Times.
Born in Arnsberg, Germany, Maarten Baas moved as a child to the Netherlands, where he grew up. He studied at the Design Academy Eindhoven, and furthered his education at the Politecnico di Milano. During his student years, he created his first commercially successful project, the "Knuckle" candlestick. By the time he graduated in 2002, he already had two designs: the carbonised furniture series "Smoke" and "Sundial". His famous "Smoke" series is made by literally burning old chairs and tables, then coating them with epoxy resin to preserve the charred remains. By removing all superfluous ornamentation, Baas manages to enhance the beauty of the design and bring the objects closer to their true purpose, like ordinary chairs and tables. The firm Moooi reproduced three of his works from the "Smoke" series, and exhibited them at shows in Milan, London and Paris. In 2004, Baas presented the same series in a solo exhibition entitled "Where there's smoke?" at Moss in New York. The show featured twenty-five unique pieces, some of them authentic and original designs by Gaudi, Eames, Rietveld and Sottsass. His most recent collection, "Sculpt", was launched in 2007 at the Salone del Mobile in Milan. This collection includes chairs, sideboards, tables and chests of drawers of disproportionate dimensions, well-finished furniture in which the ironic idea of the combination of wood veneer and metal structure underlies.