Frank Gehry (American, born 1929). <em>Ottomon, Power Play</em>, ca. 1991. Laminated maple, 8 1/8 x 23 3/8 x 23 3/8 in. (20.6 x 59.4 x 59.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Andrew Cogan, 1993.71.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , CUR.1993.71.1_1993.71.2.jpg)

Frank Gehry (American, born 1929). Ottomon, Power Play, ca. 1991. Laminated maple, 8 1/8 x 23 3/8 x 23 3/8 in. (20.6 x 59.4 x 59.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Andrew Cogan, 1993.71.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , CUR.1993.71.1_1993.71.2.jpg)

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I'd like to know of works that this chair influenced/was influenced by. Could you give me some references please? Thank you.

Yes, I would be happy to! This chair is by the architect Frank Gehry and was designed in 1991. The "Power Play" chair is made of bent sheets of laminated maple. The designer was influenced by a long tradition of bent wood and laminate furniture. One of the most influential creators of bentwood furniture was Michael Thonet. Thonet (who was working in Austria) began bending wood using hot steam in the 1830s.. We have a beautiful rocking chair by him on view on the fourth floor.

Thank you so much! I'll go to check the rocking chair by Thonet too.

Great! Another very influential maker of bent plywood furniture can be seen in the Luce Center, nearby. Ray and Charles Eames are a husband and wife team who built a machine for molding plywood in their garage. They called the machine the Kazam! machine. During World War I they used their machine to make molded plywood leg splints to help injured soldiers. After the war they made chairs, including their famous lounge chair. Both the chair and the leg splint are on view in the Luce Center.

Thanks for so much information!

Ottomon, Power Play

Decorative Arts and Design

On View: Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor

MAKERS Frank Gehry, American, born 1929; Knoll Group

MEDIUM Laminated maple

DATES ca. 1991

DIMENSIONS 8 1/8 x 23 3/8 x 23 3/8 in. (20.6 x 59.4 x 59.4 cm) 13 7/8 in. 935.5 cm) with legs extended (show scale)

MARKINGS on underside of Ottoman printed "No59", and branded "Frank Gehry (facsimile signature)/K[N]OLL, "MADE IN US[A] /2/19/9[3]"

SIGNATURE no signature

INSCRIPTIONS no inscriptions

COLLECTIONS Decorative Arts and Design

ACCESSION NUMBER 1993.71.2

CREDIT LINE Gift of Andrew Cogan

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is on view in Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor

CAPTION Frank Gehry (American, born 1929). Ottomon, Power Play, ca. 1991. Laminated maple, 8 1/8 x 23 3/8 x 23 3/8 in. (20.6 x 59.4 x 59.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Andrew Cogan, 1993.71.2. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , CUR.1993.71.1_1993.71.2.jpg)

IMAGE group, CUR.1993.71.1_1993.71.2.jpg.

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RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

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