Custom Coffee Table In Glass & Bent Wood
Sweeping Cocktail Table
Sapele and Glass 20″H x 62″W x 32D
View the Modern Glass Coffee Table in my online portfolio
The Sweeping Cocktail Table is a perfect example of the sculptural furniture that I am known for. The table is presented in oxidized Sapele and clear glass. The table features sweeping bent laminations that act as stretchers to knit the table together. The curves are more than structure, they are the building blocks that I use to evoke a feeling of movement. One curve flows into the next and the next drawing the viewer in and encouraging them to move around the piece. The movement reaches up and over the glass surface in an unconventional moment.
I wanted to take a moment to go into more detail on my Sweeping Cocktail Table. I designed the piece to be at the center of the Tripoli Gallery Of Contemporary Art in Southampton NY. The process was no different than the other custom coffee tables that i have made. I went into the space and tried to figure out a way to satisfy the needs of the gallery as well as satisfying my need to create a unique piece of furniture. I have done this enough to know that if I am successful on both counts I would end up with a coffee table that would stand out in the gallery or any other place that it may end up. I try to react to the space but still strive for something universal. This goal is at the heart of my approach to custom work.
The location contributed the following needs to the design. The size of 30″ x 60″ seemed like it would fit the gallery well. I knew that they needed a tall table that could be used with lounge seating and double as a low writing surface. I also knew that the table would likely be covered with gallery related information.
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The table that I designed incorporated these factors by bringing one of the sweeping curves up and above the tables surface. Regardless of what was placed on the table this detail would not be lost. I hope that it would always act as an invitation for discovery! If the table were not covered then the composition of the stretchers would be quickly apparent through the glass. In the event that the table were covered then the stretchers could serve to draw the viewer in as they approach the table. Either way the table is designed to stand out and be comfortable in this or any other environment.
By Nico Yektai -
New York based designer/maker Nico Yektai opened the doors to his Hamptons studio in 1995 after completing the MFA program at the School For American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The rigorous technical training complimented his background in Art History, which he studied, at Hobart College in Geneva NY. Yektai has synthesized this background into a singular style that has gained him national attention. Visit nicoyektai.com for more information
Springs Invitational: Artists of the Hamptons- East Hampton NY
The Springs Invitational is one of those Hamptons staples. The show dates back to the 1950’s and the amazing artists who have lived and worked in the Hamptons. Jackson Pollock, Lee Krasner, Ibram Lassaw, Willem de Kooning and my father, Manoucher Yektai, have graced the walls of The Springs Invitational. I am not sure where the early shows were held but funds from the sales of artworks helped build the current building, Ashwagh Hall. The current shows raise money for the Springs Improvement Society, the SIS.
The Show for 2012 will open on August 3rd with a reception from 4-7pm and run through August 19th
The show will be on view Sunday -Friday 1-5pm and Saturday 9am- 5pm
I will be introducing a new sculpture this year called “Pinch”
Here is a preview, I hope to see some of you at the opening.
By Nico Yektai -
New York based designer/maker Nico Yektai opened the doors to his Hamptons studio in 1995 after completing the MFA program at the School For American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The rigorous technical training complimented his background in Art History, which he studied, at Hobart College in Geneva NY. Yektai has synthesized this background into a singular style that has gained him national attention. Visit nicoyektai.com for more information
Circle Bench #1
I have just completed and installed my largest piece to date. Circle Bench #1 measures nearly 20 feet in diameter. This bench was commissioned to encircle a very large Copper Beech Tree. The circular composition uses sweeping bent laminations to build up the structure, one piece at a time. There are numerous seating areas and tables which encourage people to sit, relax and interact. Pictured before installation onsite to demonstrate the potential for public placements, both indoor and outdoor.
The bench was inspired by the tree, but I was delighted to document it before the installation.
I approached the piece as a 360 degree sculpture that incorporated a number of micro environments. The organizing principle was the circle and the and the long bent laminations that built up the form.
Here is a link to a post at the beginning of the design process
Without further delay here are the pictures of the bench:
I had to pose for one shot!
Bending jig with my custom clamps at the ready
The laminations coming off of my bandsaw.
It got awfully crowded in my shop!
Circle bench in pieces in my shop.
The day i installed it. I will post more pictures after the photo-shoot.
By Nico Yektai -
New York based designer/maker Nico Yektai opened the doors to his Hamptons studio in 1995 after completing the MFA program at the School For American Craft at the Rochester Institute of Technology. The rigorous technical training complimented his background in Art History, which he studied, at Hobart College in Geneva NY. Yektai has synthesized this background into a singular style that has gained him national attention. Visit nicoyektai.com for more information