Paul McCobb (June 5, 1917 - March 10, 1969) is one of the most important and well known mid-century furniture designers. Born in Medford, Massachusetts, he studied drawing and painting at the Vesper George School of Art in Boston. Before finishing, he joined the army. He returned and began his career as a self taught designer, in 1948 joining Martin Feinman’s Modernage Furniture in New York City as a designer and decorating consultant. This is where he would meet B. G. Mesber who he would collaborate with for his Planner and Directional lines. While he is known for his furniture, he also designed radios, tv’s, hi-fi consoles, and household items. He went on to design lines of furniture for many companies, including Planner for Winchendon Furniture Company, Predictor for O’Hearn Furniture, multiple lines for Calvin Furniture, and Connoisseur Collection by H. Sacks and Sons. His Planner line was one of the best selling furniture lines of the 1950’s. In 1952, he designed the set for the originalToday show, one of the first major introductions of modern design to the broader America.

What is striking about McCobb’s work is its simplicity. While this style is so regularly seen today, it was inventive and new for the time he worked. Every furniture piece is boiled down to its necessary parts— legs, seats, shelves, drawers— with no ornamentation. This paired back design requires each element to be carefully considered to achieve elegance rather than boring simplicity, a feat McCobb achieved with beautiful materials, thin and tapering forms, and thoughtful geometry. In his dining chairs seen above, for all intents and purposes they are very simple, straightforward chairs. McCobb’s touch is seen in the careful angle of the back, the tapering of the legs at the base, and the selection of rich wood. Looking at his pieces more than half a century later, they are truly timeless. His modernist vision was done so correctly that his work stands the test of time.

We are happy to feature new pieces to the gallery this May. The gallery remains open by appointment only — please contact the gallery to set up a time to view any of the pieces you see online. We are best able to help if you provide the pieces you would like to see prior to your appointment. For any requests beyond what you see online, please contact us and we can help source new pieces or refurbish from our stock.

JOHN SALADINO FOR DUNBAR POST + BEAM SOFA

This sofa, designed in the 1960’s, has been freshly reupholstered in boucle fabric and has a newly restored ash base. This design is a rare and sought after. It peels back the bulk of a sofa, with tall wooden legs and streamlined cushions. This sofa is perfect for occasional spaces— an office, entrance hall, sunroom.

IT WALNUT BENCH

Seth Keller has been a working artist for almost twenty years as well as working for the Art Institute of Chicago. Seth’s work is intimately related to exploring manufacturing processes, primarily working with wood. This piece allows the materiality to be showcased. By using simple forms, the color and movement of the wood comes to the forefront.

"ELATED VIBRATIONS"

Walter Fydryck has been working since the 1960’s and was trained at the Art Institute of Chicago. His paintings undulate and bend with colors morphing into others; abstract shapes hover over hazy backdrops. In this piece, Fydryck creates a crisp, futuristic abstract work. The monochromatic scheme and sharp, angular forms makes it seem almost metallic, the shape like a bent piece of chrome reflecting light.

This month we are happy to showcase new and treasured pieces at the gallery. New pieces by Finn Juhl and Warren Platner and works by Michael Lotenero and Mies van der Rohe are highlighted this month. We are available, as always, by appointment. Please reach out and we would be happy to set up a time to show these pieces.

FINN JUHL FOR BAKER FURNITURE CABINET

This cabinet was designed by Finn Juhl for Baker Furniture as part of the Baker Modern line. It is made of freshly restored teak and maple. Finn Juhl was an iconic Danish designer known primarily for his furniture and is credited with introducing this style to America. He studied architecture and began his career as a student working on interiors. He was brought to the American design market by being spotted by a MoMA curator and then being picked up to design a line for Baker. This piece’s design celebrates the materiality of the wood; the grain and texture becomes the star. The contrasting wood species highlight each other and the streamlined design is simple yet beautiful.

WARREN PLATNER FOR KNOLL SIDE TABLES

These side tables are emblematic of Platner’s designs, featuring the curving metal legs he is known so well for. The marble tops come in their original boxes from the 1980s; original glass tops are also available. The combination of materials in conjunction with the lines evokes the modern elegance of mid century design, utilizing classic materials with experimental forms. The marble tops almost hover, support by many spindly legs rather than any substantial forms. This adds to the modern flair: a heavy piece of marble almost floating.

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"DREAMSCAPE II"

Michael Lotenero creates evocative and dramatic abstract works. This large scale piece is oil on canvas, with bold and gestural marks against a black field. The majority of the forms rest within the middle linear portion of the piece, carefully evading the upper and lower portions. These contrasting marks seem to float in the black field, this dark container clearly behind the forms but also sheerly shrouding some. The artist clearly uses a variety of methods to create, with clear brush strokes slashing across the canvas, smaller messier fields, and long, almost scratch like lines that move across.

CROWN HALL: A-10

Crown Hall is one of the jewels of Illinois Institute of Technology’s campus. With long planes of glass held by black, steel beams, the space almost floats, with light pouring in from all sides. The building was designed in 1954 and is part of a collection of iconic early modern architecture on the school’s campus. It is the home of the College of Architecture and was finished in 1956. The space is almost entirely open, free from beams or structural walls, allowing it be changed and adapted to whatever is needed of it. This drawing comes from Mies’s office and comes from a set of technical working drawings.