Autumn

Object NameDesk

Artist / Maker Christopher Martin ((American, b. 1967))

Date2008

MediumPainted wood, steel, leather, Madrone, Afzelia burl, silver.

DimensionsOther: 44 × 51 × 32 in. (111.8 × 129.5 × 81.3 cm)

ClassificationsFurniture

Credit LineGift of the artist. In the permanent collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2015.60

Status

Not on view

Collections

CultureAmerican

Label TextFrom the University Museums Collections Handbook, vol. 2, 2025: When making furniture, artists often explore a range of experiences that can find expression in both the functional and the beautiful. As Chris Martin, former College of Design Professor at Iowa State University, began the process of designing the Autumn Secretary he challenged himself in many ways that shine through the finished product. With an initial inspiration from an exhibition of sculptural Czech Art Deco furniture to a reflection from his walks through autumnal trees, the desk took on its own unique form. The technical difficulty in the creation of his design was a literal puzzle with seventeen differently angled pieces made to fit together to execute the sculptural yet functional design. The smooth exterior incorporates the variegated red, yellows and the last bits of green seen in fall leaves, while the large interior space is cave-like and warm. As a design, Martin thought it was perhaps impossible, but through painstaking building and serendipitous moments of inspiration, the final object stands as a testament to the ability of furniture to transcend into a sculptural work of art.

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