Entre art et design, le travail de Mathias Bengtsson s'inscrit aux frontières de la sculpture. Né à Copenhague en 1971, il a tout d'abord étudié le design de produit a la Danish Design School avant de se transférer à Londres pour finir ses études au prestigieux Royal College of Art. Sa Slice Chair est le fruit d'une expérimentation technique qui se dérive en divers matériaux tel que l'aluminium, le bois, l'acrylique ou encore l'ambre.
" Bengtsson Design creates concepts inspired by the time we live in. Technology is the overriding force of our time, demanding fresh forms and new uses in a modern world. Despite our hi-tech approach, we often look to nature as a source of innovation and inspiration for new areas of design. The need to interpret the promise of technology for the human being has not changed, and we promote the use of new technology and materials to create interesting and innovative objects that fascinate and motivate.
Bengtsson Design was founded in 2002 by Mathias Bengtsson and Sara Hildén Bengtsson. The studio is based in London. "
"The Slice chair was constructed with the same adeptness an architect would employ to create a topological map of the landscape, evoking the illusion of a piece of furniture cut away from a cliff face and scaled to human proportions.’ Bradley Quinn, in Scandinavian Style.
First drawn by hand and later modelled in clay, the Slice chair combines organic shapes with cutting-edge technology. Slice is constructed as an assemblage of horizontal cross-sections that stack together into a uniquely lateral profile. Laser-cut to a thickness of only 3mm, each individual layer resembles a two-dimensional abstraction more than it does a hi-tech component. Although the process was inspired by rapid prototyping methods, Bengtsson worked with more traditional materials. His starting point was to create a new form by using clay, which he then sliced in horizontal layers and manipulated digitally. The result was a surprising shape that blurred the distinctions between armrests, backrest, legs and frame.
Produced in limited-editions, versions of the Slice chair have been manufactured in aluminium, plywood, cardboard and foam. The plywood model has been likened to topographical maps of a desert canyon, or said to evoke a rock face that has been eroded by the sea. Constructed in aluminium, the chair is transformed into a strikingly futuristic silhouette that imparts an elegant machine aesthetic. The latest version is crafted in foam, and weighs only four kilos.
Slice chair was acquired by the The Contemporary Arts Museum in Houston and the Manchester Art Galleries, England. "
