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Designer
Harry Bertoia
Harry Bertoia (1915–1978) was born in San Lorenzo, near Pordenone, Italy, and moved to Detroit at 15. He studied at Cass Technical High School and the Detroit School of Arts and Crafts, then opened his own metal workshop at Cranbrook,…
Biography
Background
Harry Bertoia (1915–1978) was born in San Lorenzo, near Pordenone, Italy, and moved to Detroit at 15. He studied at Cass Technical High School and the Detroit School of Arts and Crafts, then opened his own metal workshop at Cranbrook, where he taught jewellery and metalwork. In the 1940s he worked in California with Charles and Ray Eames on laminating and bending plywood.
Signature Style
A complete artist – Knoll historian Brian Lutz said 'his paintings were better than his sculptures, his sculptures better than his furniture, and his furniture was absolutely brilliant'. Bertoia found grace in rod and wire, shaping welded steel lattices around the body, and later explored light, sound and volume in sculpture (Sonambient).
Notable Works
- Bertoia wire collection for Knoll (1952): Diamond Chair, Side Chair, Large Diamond, Bird Chair, barstool
- Altar screen for Eero Saarinen's MIT Chapel
- Sculptures and architectural installations for the Knoll Planning Unit
Legacy
Invited by Hans and Florence Knoll in 1950 to set up a metal shop in Pennsylvania with free rein to experiment, he designed only one furniture series – recognised worldwide as one of the great achievements of 20th-century design and in continuous production since; the Asymmetric Chaise followed in 2005.
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Collections
Products
Bertoia Leather-Covered Side Chair
Bertoia's leather-covered shell side chair, model 420L, on a welded rod sled base
Bertoia Diamond Chair
Harry Bertoia's 1952 welded steel rod lounge chair, with a seat pad or a full cover
Bertoia Asymmetric Chaise
Bertoia's Asymmetric Chaise: a 1950 wire prototype put into production in 2005
Bertoia Barstool
Harry Bertoia's 1952 welded steel rod barstool, in bar and counter heights
Bertoia Bird Chair
Bertoia's high-backed wire Bird Chair, 40.25 in high, with a matching ottoman
Bertoia Leather-Covered Barstool
Bertoia's leather-covered shell barstool in counter and bar heights, 426L and 428L
Bertoia Bench
Bertoia's first piece for Knoll: a 72 in slatted bench on a welded wire base
Bertoia Large Diamond Chair
Bertoia's generously sized Large Diamond wire chair, 45 in wide, 31.5 in high
Bertoia Molded Shell Barstool
Bertoia's 1960 molded shell barstool in counter and bar heights, six shell colours
Bertoia Molded Shell Side Chair
Bertoia's 1960 side chair with a molded shell in six colours, reintroduced in 2017
Bertoia Side Chair
Bertoia's wire side chair on a sled base, 28.75 in high, bare or with pad or cover
