{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O62433"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O62433/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AX7614/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AX7614/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AX7614","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AX7630","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O62433","accessionNumber":"W.669-2001","objectType":"Chair","titles":[{"title":"Low Chair","type":"assigned by artist"}],"summaryDescription":"Maarten Van Severen was greatly influenced by Minimalist art and architecture, but died aged only 49 in 2005. His approach to designing furniture was to reduce and refine his idea until only the most essential elements were left.  The origin of the Low Chair was a series of sketches showing a single line looping back on itself, and the completed object is like a three-dimensional rendering of a two-dimensional drawing. It is simply made from a ribbon of bent aluminium joined under the seat by rubber spacers. Looked at from the side the chair almost disappears, becoming a line in space. It appears to grow out of the plane of the floor and to hover above it.\r\n\r\nInitially Van Severen made his own furniture, but later in the 1990s he licensed production to the Belgian firm of Top Mouton who made about 40 of these chairs each year.  In 2001 the Italian firm Kartell successfuly translated the design into acrylic for a broader market.  Now the simple linear form of the chair was also transparent, further dematerialising the shape.","physicalDescription":"Low chair without arms comprising of a single sheet of folded unpainted aluminium in an almost continuous loop to form a one-piece seat and back. Where the two ends of the aluminium strip overlap beneath the seat they are separated with rubber spacers.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Severen, Maarten van","id":"A5716"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"AAT25190"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"Top Mouton","id":"C2179"},"association":{"text":"manufacturer","id":"AAT25230"},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"aluminium","id":"AAT11015"},{"text":"rubber","id":"AAT12941"},{"text":"","id":""}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Aluminium, folded","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006AX7614","2006AX7630"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES404290"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Belgium","id":"x28742"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1993-1995","earliest":"1993-01-01","latest":"1995-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""},{"date":{"text":"2001","earliest":"2001-01-01","latest":"2001-12-31"},"association":{"text":"manufactured","id":"x29350"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Maarten Van Severen Meubelen by TM - Belgium","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"60.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"50","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"105.3","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured from the object; checked CW 28.1.10","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"In 2001 the manufacturers claimed to make 40 of these chairs each year.  At the Milan Furniture Fair (April 2001) the Italian plastics manufacturer Kartell previewed a prototype version in clear acrylic.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Low Chair; designed by Maarten Van Severen (Belgian, 1956-2005), 1993-1994; manufactured by Top Mouton, Belgium, 2001; aluminium.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'The Furniture Machine: furniture since 1990', Gareth Williams, V&A Publications, 2006, illustrated p.42"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"103-6\r\n\r\nLOW CHAIR\r\nDesigned by Maarten Van Severen (Belgian, born 1949), 1993-5\r\nMade by Top Mouton, Belgium, 2001\r\nAluminium\r\n\r\nVan Severen started designing and producing furniture in the later 1980s in his workshop in Ghent. His first pieces were long, sleek tables in steel or wood. Later he began to work in aluminium, enabling him to produce lighter furniture. Forty of these chairs are made each year, and the Italian manufacturer Kartell has prototyped a clear plastic version that could take the design to a broader market.\r\n\r\nGiven by Maarten Van Severen Meubelen TM, Belgium\r\nW.669-2001","date":{"text":"2006","earliest":"2006-01-01","latest":"2006-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.669-2001"],"accessionNumberNum":"669","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":2001,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2019LN6100","2019LN7655","2019LT5850","2019LV3278","2019LW7237","2019LW4015"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-20","recordCreationDate":"2001-08-31","availableToBook":false}}