Out of this world: a Surrealist take on home furnishings
To celebrate the opening of the Dali / Duchamp exhibition, The Modern House has partnered with the Royal Academy to offer a pair of tickets to one of our subscribers.
From Meret Oppenheim’s Object to David Pompa’s chairs, we’ve selected seven designs that chart the continuing influence of Surrealism in the home.
Object (Le Déjeuner en fourrure), Meret Oppenheim
The best known work of Meret Oppenheim – leading figure of the Surrealist movement and one of the most prominent female artists of the 20th century. Object (Le Déjeuner en fourrure) was infamously the first acquisition of the Museum of Modern Art after it was purchased by Alfred Barr in 1936.
Mae West Lips Sofa, Salvador Dali
Shaped after the actress Mae West, Salvador Dali created this wood and satin sofa in 1937. The piece was commissioned by a poet and Surrealist patron and heavily influenced by Dali’s earlier work, ‘Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as an Apartment’ from 1935.
Table, Meret Oppenheim
Meret Oppenheim designed this bronze-cast bird-legged table for the avant-garde gallery of Leo Castelli in 1939. The gold-leaf top was further impressed with bird footprints. Despite being designed in 1938-39, the table only went into production through the Italian firm Simon International in 1972.
UP5 Donna, Gaetano Pesce
The avante-garde Italian architect, Gaetano Pesce, designed the UP5 Donna chair as part of a series of ‘transformation furniture’ in 1969. Bound to a tenth of its size by vacuum packaging, the chair expanded to its full dimensions upon release.
Toucan Desk Lamp, H.T. Huang
Also known as the Pelican Desk Lamp, this collapsible plastic desk lamp is attributed to H.T. Huang between 1980-9.
Chair, David Pompa
Designed by David Pompa in 2008, this rocking chair is one of eight pieces from a series titled ‘Surreal Minimalism’. The collection comprised a range of upholstered seats and metal bases which could be playfully re-imagined in different combinations.
Sinking Ship, Studio Job
The sculptural furniture designs of Studio Job seek to situate the decorative arts in the twenty-first century. The studio was founded by design duo Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel in 1998 and its distinctive work blurs elements of fantasy, history and irony. The Sinking Ship sideboard made its debut at the Studio Job solo show ‘MAD HOUSE’ at The Museum for Arts and Design in 2016.
To win tickets for you and a guest to Dali / Duchamp, @tag the name of your guest beneath our Surreal Design post and make sure you’re both following us.
Tickets are also available for purchase here.
Read more:
October Cultural Diary: a month of art, craft and architecture
Tales of the Unexpected: our selection of the most surreal spaces on the market
My Modern House: Jessica Robinson opens the door to David Adjaye’s Lost House
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