THE HISTORY OF A WORK OF ART

The desk's simplicity raises admiration. A metal supporting structure that bends over itself, folds and unfolds itself, and becomes a seat after being a work desk. All this happens in a single movement, as subtle as a hand drawn trace.

Designed in 1966, this imposing work of art brings us a whiff of the 60's that saw the birth of the type E Jaguar and the pugnaciousness of the racing car, and Bolidismo (Bolidism). The Bolidism movement sprung from the Italian futurism, which enhanced speed and a boldness of design, with a belief in technique and an enthusiasm for whatever could be assaulted and grasped. In this desk, where acceleration seems restrained, we see the elegance of the Paquebot Style circumvolutions.
The «streamline», so cherished by the French-American designer Raymond Loewy, fosters this quest for a perfect shape where metal renders homage to nature, to the drop of water, to organic forms. Though static, this desk could leap. We are cautious approaching it.
It breathes. Under the appearance of Moebius’ supple ring (the form so dear to psychoanalysts), it offers a tactile design, taut to the edge. This unfolding piece in stainless steel reminds us that the exterior is always intertwined with what is most intimate, just as the human being. Indeed, the spirit detaches itself and escapes from this desk whose faces turn away and inside out.

Always Innovative

In 1966, Ben Swildens designed his Egg lamp, produced by Fontana Arte. A bulging lamp like a cruet. At that time it was called the "Christopher Columbus Lamp". Such title was indeed quite appropriate because the artist was a discoverer and an innovator enlightened by the audacity of the enterprise. This desk, both functional and splendid, is evidence enough.

Nowadays, the pieces of the new series, all handmade at a metal precision workshop in Lyon, respect the lines of the original pieces. The craftsmen’s gestures have not changed. They are the same as those of the past, repeated for decades in the belief in perfection: modelling, bending, twisting and polishing. All is done by the hands, the eyes and the know-how of the professionals. The producer Furdess, specialised in custom-made design faces the challenge and produces Ben Swildens’ desk.
To reach the desired level of perfection of an artwork, every inclination needs to be smoothed, every thickness needs to be polished. Delicate touches have been made on stainless steel, the rigid material that is extremely difficult to manipulate. The design seems simple and smooth but this is merely an illusion. Nothing is flat, nothing is straight, everything is askew, the structure bends and unfolds. Plaques are fixed on the triangled frame in stainless steel. They are then soldered. Creating the internal structure is a true demand; the thickness, the curvatures dance and glide away. One would never suspect that such a work of ingeniousness could be fraught with tears. Many other people would have given up, this is the price to pay for a true work of art.

We know that one of the three original pieces was sold in Paris in the 80's while the others were sold at auctions in London and New York for an attractive sum of money. All the desks are currently owned by some major collectors. This new exclusive series breathes a new life as a unique design piece. Indeed, it is a renaissance.

A piece commissioned by Peugeot

The desk was born on the occasion of the competition launched by the Peugeout headquarters, avenue de la Grande Armée in Paris. "I decided to design three desks for the reception hall. I traced a line with a pencil and sketched my desk", Swildens said. During the "plastic time" when majority of designers used only polystyrene but anything else to the extent when Chant of Styrene became a part of the common jargon Ben Swildens took a side path. He felt a strong inclination to use metal for this job. "In order to respond to Peugeot’s requests, this was ideal because it corresponded to the company’s spirit regarding the external panels of cars. For carmakers, metal was the prime material", said Swildens.
Peugeot’s executives were convinced by Ben Swildens’ enthusiasm and his innovative spirit. "This desk was born from a simple desire : creating something new. At that time our god was Saarinen, who had designed a one-footed chair (the Tulip Chair). What else could we have done? Well, something without any feet at all ! That’s how I got the idea. The egg lamp too was born from the wish to simplify shapes. I wanted to eliminate the lampshade and that is exactly what I did."

The three desks were thus installed right next to each other in Avenue de la Grande Armée, not far from the Triumphal Arch and Champs Elysées, in the hall of the Peugeot building. "The effect was phenomenal. The three receptionists stood behind the desks. They had been chosen for their elegance. The three desks were placed on a white Carrara marble floor so that the girls would not feel cold. I integrated heating cords in the seat. There was even a little hook on the back where the assistants could hang their bags. In this way nothing could interrupt the purity of the desks’ line. All we could see was their knees. We had placed the three desks obliquely to enhance the sliding effect of the hall, so that they would catch the public’s attention and give the receptionists some intimacy. All this may seem anecdotic, but it is very important that these desks, although very atypical and exceptional, have always fit for human nature. Nowadays their feminine touch gives them an evident appeal and authenticity."

These rare pieces that mark a period of flourishing creativity still have not lost their power to attract the audience. Their charm and glamour have been rather increased as time passed by.

By Philippe Tretiack