Laverne, father and son Among the pieces proposed by the selection of the design department of PIASA for the sale "American Selected Design & Brazilian Spirit Design" on Thursday, November 14, 2019, three pieces of furniture are signed by designers Philip and Kelvin Laverne.
It was in the early 1960s that Kelvin, the son, joined his father, Philip, after having - like him - followed lessons at the Arts Student League. The pieces coming out of their workshop are the place of the happy encounter between art and design. They deploy their talent to achieve a wide variety of furniture. In their lines, their forms and their privileged motives, the Greco-Latin culture appears as an inexhaustible source of inspiration alongside that coming from ancient China and Egypt.
In the mid-1960s, they set up a showroom in Manhattan (East 57th Street). They then realize several bronze sculptures like "Moment of Truth" and "Wavecrest" which become elements supporting tables and consoles.
Philip (1907-1987) et Kelvin Laverne (né en 1937)
Medici - Pièce unique
Table basse
Laiton, étain et bois
Etiquette 'Philip Laverne galleries' sous le
plateau
Date de création : 1965
H 44,5 × L 155 × P 79 cm
Estimation: 10 000 / 15 000 euros
The table made in 1965 is characteristic of the work of the designers. While its title (Medici) summons the prestige of the dynasty of bankers and statesmen who contributed so much to the emergence of Florence during the Renaissance, its iconographic repertoire refers to the ancient statuary. The powerful and muscular bodies of men and women, presumably coming from mythology, rest on pedestals. Estimated between 10,000 and 15,000 euros, this piece combines with great elegance brass, pewter and wood.
Philip (1907-1987) et Kelvin Laverne (né en 1937)
Eternal Forest - Pièce unique
Paire de tables d'appoint
Laiton et bois
Signées 'Philip & Kelvin Laverne' sur le
pourtour des plateaux
Date de création : 1965
H 54 × L 33,5 × P 30,5 cm
Estimation: 12 000 / 18 000 euros
"Eternal Forest", the pair of side tables, presents on the surface of its trays, several rows of trees. The pattern is reminiscent of the tapered lines of the triple base.
Made the same year, the carved bronze coffee table features the figure of Adam as represented by Michelangelo on the vaults of the Sistine Chapel.
