Michael Hurwitz 16 South 3rd Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 215-627-6092 info@michaelhurwitzfurniture.com
RECENT PROJECTS
RE-CLAIMED OAK DINING TABLER
2009
30” x 42” x 96-144”
Re-claimed oak
The wood for this commission came from the rafters of an old farmhouse that the couple was in the middle of renovating. They wanted to give the wood a second life - this time as furniture for the same home.
RYAN CABINET
2009
80"x40"x17"
Bamboo, Pau amarello, Bronze hardware
This commission for a display cabinet began when the client saw the work I had made for the "Inspired by China" exhibition. They liked the open grill work of one of those cabinets, and requested a design that permitted adjustable shelves in the center.
The comparatively large size is appropriate for the space in the home it now inhabits.
CLOSE TABLES W/ LATTICE APRONS
2008
Large 43.5"x24”x23.5"
Small 24”x22”x15.25”
Narra
This commission also began, at least partly, as a result of the client responding to the work she had seen in the "Inspired by China" exhibition. She had a large table lamp that she wanted to have sit on a more appropriate table than the one it was currently on, and that's where the discussion began.
LATTICE TABLE
2007
30" x 37" x 37"
Alaskan yellow cedar, Epoxy resin
This piece was culmination of many overlapping interests for me - I'm always interested in the strength to weight ratio of a piece ( lighter is better ), always interested in the role that structure can play in the design, and in this case wanted to explore the possibilities of light transference.
The use of epoxy resin quickly migrated to the forefront of a series of experiments, and I love the way it has served all three criteria.
SILK CHINESE PIECE
2006
68"x36"x20",
Zelkova, Bamboo, Silk with epoxy resin, Damascus steel & bronze pulls
This was one of two pieces made for the exhibition " Inspired by China" hosted by the Peabody Essex museum in Salem, Mass. The curator asked several studio furniture makers to respond to their collection of historic Chinese furniture by making a contemporary piece. I chose to make a pair of cabinets that were compatible but not identical.
This is a rare example (for me) of the design / concept being driven largely by some especially beautiful lumber - in this case, "zelkova", which I had sitting in the shop for years, waiting for the right project.