Obo chair
(1974)
Medium
polyurethane foam, polystyrene beads, jersey
Measurements
70.0 × 70.0 cm diameter (variable)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Bernadette Foley through the Australian Government's Cultural Gifts Program, 2014
Gallery location
Contemporary Art gallery
Level 3, NGV International
About this work
Grant Featherston is a key figure in the history of Australian industrial design, and many of his seating designs have become icons of Australian modernism. The Obo chair was Featherston’s final design and arguably his simplest. It is a reflection of his approach, which combined an innovative use of materials and technology with an awareness of contemporary fashion. While it is completely unique in its realisation, the Obo chair makes reference to contemporary Italian seating designs, including the late Italian designer Gaetano Pesce’s series of Up chairs and the Sacco, or Beanbag, both of which employ foam exclusively to form the seating structure.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
Melbourne, Victoria
Accession Number
2014.325
Department
Australian Decorative Arts