The Errant Æsthete

Like good wines or French cheeses, artists often improve with age; cue Pablo Picasso and Oscar Neimeyer, Claude Monet and Ettore Sottsass as instant examples. So too does American furniture designer Wendell Castle.

Now in his 70s, Wendell has produced some classics over the decades, from bulbous plastic pieces in the Sixties that nod to the Memphis movement, through to his trademark crafty wooden pieces with idiosyncratic twists. Although they were created 40 years ago, many pieces are looking fresher than ever and are fetching rocket prices at auction, while his large body of work in wood has firmly redefined Wendell as artist designer rather than craftsman.

New works launched last year include the splendid Nirvana chair and Night on Earth chaise, both of which form part of an exhibition of his work which opened 1 May at New York’s Barry Friedman Gallery

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