Unique Table (Oval), 2004

This oval table, created by Franz West in 2004 and purchased directly from the artist, a unique yet unsurprising result of how he approached his art. West designed his furniture in the same manner as his sculptures. At the forefront was the idea of relation, the tactile aspects of the form, and the potential ways it could be used. He intended for his art to stimulate interaction and for his furniture to blur the lines of form and function. He was quoted saying, “It does not matter what art looks like but how it is used,” and his sculptural furniture fully embodies this. Like much of his work, West created the table using materials that went against what most would perceive as “Design.” The particle board combined with the unrefined steel legs resembles a sculpture assembled using found objects. This table is unique in the oeuvre of Franz West, both in form and function. He had essentially stripped down the other tables to their most basic definition; a quadrilateral top attached to four straight legs devoid of the texture and energy demonstrated here. The oval table is more than a plinth whose sole purpose is to support another piece of art. It is meant to be observed and utilized as an extension of the art that is displayed alongside it. Additional examples of his interrelational works have been exhibited worldwide at museums such as Tate Modern in London, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.