Vladimir Kagan for Weiman Pair of Newly Upholstered Nautilus Swivel Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Vladimir Kagan (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29 in (73.66 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)Length: 29 in (73.66 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Late 20th Century
- Condition:Reupholstered.
- Seller Location:West Hartford, CT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3072320898532
Vladimir Kagan
The pioneers of modern furniture design in America in the mid-20th century all had their moments of flamboyance: Charles and Ray Eames produced the startling, biomorphic La Chaise; George Nelson’s firm created the Marshmallow sofa; Edward Wormley had his decadent Listen to Me chaise. But no designer of the day steadily offered works with more verve and dynamism than Vladimir Kagan. While others, it seems, designed with suburban households in mind, Kagan aimed to suit the tastes of young, sophisticated city-dwellers. With signature designs that feature sleekly curved frames and others that have dramatic out-thrust legs, Kagan made furniture sexy.
Kagan’s father was a Russian master cabinetmaker who took his family first to Germany (where Vladimir was born) and then to New York in 1938. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Kagan opened a design firm at age 22 and immediately made a splash with his long, low and sinuous Serpentine sofa. Furniture lines such as the Tri-symmetric group of glass-topped, three-legged tables and the vivacious Contours chairs soon followed.
Kagan’s choices of form and materials evolved through subsequent decades, embracing lucite, aluminum and burl-wood veneers. By the late 1960s, Kagan was designing austere, asymmetrical cabinets and his Omnibus group of modular sofas and chairs. For all his aesthetic élan, Kagan said that throughout his career, his touchstone was comfort. “A lot of modern furniture was not comfortable. And so comfort is: form follows function. The function was to make it comfortable,” he once commented. “I created what I called vessels for the human body.”
A diverse group of bodies have made themselves at home with Kagan designs. Among the famous names who commissioned and collected his designs are Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Andy Warhol, David Lynch, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, and firms such as Gucci and Giorgio Armani. His work is in numerous museum collections, including those of the Victoria Albert and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Because of its idiosyncrasy, Kagan’s work did not lend itself to mass-production. Kagan never signed on with any of the major furniture-making corporations, and examples of his designs are relatively rare. As you will see from the offerings on 1stDibs, even decades after their conception, Kagan pieces still command the eye, with their freshness, energy, sensuality and wit.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Bouclé
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Velvet
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Suede
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Fabric, Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Post-Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery, Hide
Late 20th Century American Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery, Hide
20th Century American Swivel Chairs
Fabric
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery
Late 20th Century American Modern Swivel Chairs
Bouclé, Upholstery
More From This Seller
View AllMid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Textile, Teak
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Chrome
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Textile, Wood
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Rattan, Wood
