Jean Prouvé, 1950

 

Jean Prouvé, one of the great designers of the 20th century, was trained as an ornamental ironworker in France. In 1930 he achieved an innovative breakthrough, producing a plastic and technical form oriented to industrial practice, and went on to become the partner of many significant architects and furniture designers; Prouvé's influences are still very much alive today. His production facility in Maxeville, France allowed him the unique opportunity of combining industrial aesthetics with technical know-how. In his furniture designs, Prouvé combines his technical know-how and the opportunities offered by his production facility with it's unique industrial aesthetics.   Utilizing his innovative method of folding sheet metal, Prouvé designed a series of tables that have the perceived lightness of bridges and the presence of architecture. Trapeze refers to the distinctive shape of the table's paired legs. Together with the thick, obliquely canted edges of the tabletop, they give visual emphasis to the construction's stability. Trapeze works well as a dining, conference table or task table. Lacquered black sheet steel with black laminate top.