The Thread Wrapping Machine Stool 230415

The Thread Wrapping Machine Stool 230415

4/23/2015
Designer
Anton Alvarez, Swedish, Chilean, 1980-
Born: Sweden
Work Locations: Stockholm, Sweden
Locale
New York, NY
Country
United States
Object
stool
Medium
Polyester thread, fabric, PVA glue, color pigment, medium-density fiberboard, plywood, oriented strand board, wood, plastic, and metal
Accession Number
2015.281
Credit Line
Acquired by exchange

Anton Alvarez, The Thread Wrapping Machine Stool 230415, 2015. Polyester thread, fabric, PVA glue, color pigment, medium-density fiberboard, plywood, oriented strand board, wood, plastic, and metal; 17 3/4 x 18 5/8 x 7 in. Denver Art Museum: Acquired by exchange, 2015.281. © Anton Alvarez

Dimensions
height: 17 3/4 in, 45.0850 cm; length: 18 5/8 in, 47.3075 cm; depth: 7 in, 17.7800 cm
Inscription
Signed and dated by the artist.
Department
Architecture and Design
Collection
Architecture and Design
This object is currently on view

"My machine is also drawing something by giving physical dimension to my ideas."  — Anton Alvarez

Thread replaces joints and screws in the furniture that emerges from Anton Alvarez’s custom-built Thread Wrapping Machine. The tool spins at high speed, binding pieces of wood, metal, plastic, and textiles in hundreds of feet of glue- and paint-coated thread. Alvarez controls the process up to a point—with a foot pedal and by passing materials through the open wheel of the machine. The time-consuming act dictates the final shape of his brightly-colored objects.

Known Provenance
Purchased June 2015 from Salon 94 by the Denver Art Museum; created 23 April 2015 at Salon 94, New York, New York.
Exhibition History
  • "Unseated: Contemporary Chairs Reimagined"—Denver Art Museum, 5/1/2016 - 11/12/2017
  • “By Design: Stories and Ideas Behind Objects” — Denver Art Museum, 10/24/2021 – 1/1/2024