The PE-131 coffee table, designed by Paul Evans, is an impressive piece within the line he created for Directional Furniture. It belongs to the popular bronze series PE100-200, introduced by Evans in 1964. Employing a combination of craftsmanship and experimental technology, Evans used epoxy to apply bronze over a frame, resulting in captivating a brutalist design with striking surfaces. Molded signature and date to base ‘PE 73’.
Literature: Paul Evans Designer & Sculptor, Jeffrey Head, pg. 91 illustrates variation
Image 6: Leen, Nina (Photographer). "Old Crafts Find New Hands." LIFE, 29 July 1966, pg. 34.
About the artist:
Paul Evans was an influential American furniture designer and sculptor. He was born on May 20, 1931, in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Evans' artistic journey began with his studies in sculpture and silversmithing at various institutions, including the Philadelphia Textile Institute in Philadelphia, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York.
In 1952, Evans attended the prestigious Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Following his time at Cranbrook, he relocated to New Hope, Pennsylvania, where he collaborated with his mentor, Phillip Lloyd Powell. Powell, who had studied under renowned woodworker George Nakashima, influenced Evans' work. Together, they established a business and creative partnership. While Powell focused on woodwork, Evans specialized in working with metal.
Evans gained recognition for his significant contributions to American furniture design and his involvement in the American Craft movement during the 1970s. He also became known for his association with the furniture manufacturer Directional Furniture. In the 1950s, Evans started by crafting copper chests and then transitioned to creating steel-front cabinets. In 1961, he and Powell held an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York (now the Museum of Arts & Design).
In 1964, Evans became the designer for Directional Furniture, where he introduced several furniture lines, including the Argente Series and the highly popular Cityscapes series. Evans incorporated techniques from the shipbuilding industry and continually evolved his approaches to produce large-scale furniture pieces. At the height of his productivity in the 1970s, he was delivering almost 400 pieces per week to New York City.
In 1981, Evans departed from Directional Furniture and established his own showroom in New York City. Unfortunately, due to changing tastes and declining sales, he had to close down the showroom. Evans retired in 1987 but tragically passed away on March 7 of the same year, just two days after beginning his retirement. He died at the age of 56 in Nantucket, Massachusetts.
