Photograph by Jenifer May.
Christopher Kurtz was trained both as a furniture maker and sculptor (he was once lead assistant to Martin Puryear), and these different aspects of his practice continue to inform and strengthen each other. For him, woodworking’s characteristic structures are a lexicon that can be developed into abstract form. Most recently, Kurtz has been making slender, star-like hanging works that radiate from one or more junctions—a sculptural application of the idea of a joint—and also elegantly elemental furniture with a strong sculptural implication.
One of his series of cabinets is loosely inspired by medieval linenfold carving—itself an abstraction of classical drapery, executed with molding planes. Kurtz extends this idea, profiling the facade of the cabinet as if it were fluting on the shaft of a highly complex column. The rippling, rhythmic articulation reaches from the piece’s base to its top, yielding a view of the curvilinear composition in cross section.
Linenfold Armoire in linden wood, walnut, walnut burl, silver leaf on glass and milk-paint. Designed and made by Christopher Kurtz, USA, 2020.
49" L x 31" W x 76" H
124.5cm L x 78.7cm W x 193cm H
SU660