Provenance
Barry Friedman, New York
Acquired from the above by the present owner, 2006
Literature
The Dogs Barked, exh. cat., de Pury & Luxembourg, Zurich, 2006, n.p.
Sophie Lovell, Limited Edition: Prototypes, One-Offs and Design Art Furniture, Basel, 2009, p. 180
Catalogue Essay
Phillips would like to thank Caroline Thorman from Ron Arad Associates for her assistance cataloguing the present lot.

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Ron Arad’s “Blo Void 4” belongs to a family of seating in which the London-based, Tel Aviv-born designer explored the design potential of high-tech and sometimes unconventional materials. The dimensions and proportions of each version from the group vary but all adhere to the same basic form: that of a rocking chaise longue composed of two joined ellipses. For the first version, created in 2003 as part of the “Paperwork” collection, Arad used carbon fiber. He then experimented with Corian—a hard-wearing plastic more often associated with kitchen countertops than high-design furniture—layering the material with an adhesive tinted in a contrasting color, which, when carved into the chaise form, achieved an undulating wood grain pattern not unlike Japanese mokume. With other versions Arad alternated layers of clear and opaque acrylic, creating fascinating patterns of light. For the “Voido” chair, which is manufactured by the Italian firm Magis and is the only version that is not a limited edition, Arad chose rotational-molded polyethylene.

Despite these wide-ranging explorations into new materials, metal has always been central to Ron Arad’s practice as a designer, from his earliest creations in welded scrap steel, to the present lot, “Blo Void 4,” which is composed of superplastic aluminum, a state-of-the-art aluminum alloy first developed for the aeronautics industry. When heated superplastic aluminum can be stretched to several times its original size and can be mold-blown into an infinite variety of shapes and sizes, all the while maintaining the desirable characteristics of aluminum such as strength and lightness, as well the ability to achieve a high polish and to take on a tinted color through anodization. Arad took advantage of these characteristics with “Blo Void 4,” a volumetric form that almost appears to hover weightlessly in space, the blue anodization gracefully outlining the shape.
Artist Biography
Ron Arad
Israeli • 1951
Ron Arad's work and career is characterized by his movement between modes and constant experimentation. Arad was born in Tel Aviv, Israel in 1951 and studied at the Jerusalem Academy of Art before moving to London in 1973. He began his practice in London in the early 1980s and set up One Off Ltd, focused on limited edition objects, with his partner Caroline Thorman. A decade later he had moved to industrial production techniques and collaborations with large design firms such as Vitra and Kartell.

A persistent theme throughout his work is innovation and the idea of the "new." Still producing work today, Arad uses the latest technology to produce his designs and also integrates it within his pieces, such as his Lolita Chandelier (2004) that can receive and display text messages. Arad also continually experiments with materials and has an exceptional skill to coax volume and undulation out of them, with a particular affinity for metal. His works such as The Big Easy chair (1988) walk the line between design and sculpture. Once an outsider, Arad's relentless energy to design, build and collaborate has placed him firmly within the highest ranks of the design world.
View More Works

Important Design from a Private New York Collection

18

Ron Arad

"Blo Void 4"

2006
Polished aluminum, anodized aluminum mesh.
48 1/4 x 18 3/8 x 76 1/2 in. (122.6 x 46.7 x 194.3 cm)
Produced by the Gallery Mourmans, Maastricht, the Netherlands. Number 1 from the edition of 6 plus 2 artist's proofs. Incised Ron Arad 1 / 6.

Estimate
$70,000 - 90,000

Sold for $81,250

Contact Specialist
DesignNewYork@phillips.com
+1 212 940 1265

Design Evening

New York Auction 13 December 2018

1
Line Vautrin
"Sequins" mirror
Estimate $40,000 - 60,000
Sold for $72,500
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2
Line Vautrin
Unique "Satellite Orange" mirror
Estimate $50,000 - 70,000
Sold for $125,000
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3
Jean Royère
"Étoile" double-sided illuminated bar, from the Parachini residence, France
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
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4
Jean-Michel Frank
Table lamp
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
Sold for $175,000
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5
Jean-Michel Frank
Large "Block" table lamp
Estimate $30,000 - 40,000
Sold for $68,750
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6
Jean-Michel Frank
Large "X" table lamp
Estimate $30,000 - 40,000
Sold for $40,000
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7
This lot is no longer available.
8
Alberto Giacometti and Jean-Michel Frank
"Bird," mounted on box
Estimate $25,000 - 35,000
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9
Jean Royère
Rare wingback armchair
Estimate $120,000 - 180,000
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10
Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Rare table lamp
Estimate $8,000 - 12,000
Sold for $18,750
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11
Carlo Mollino
Unique pair of wall-mounted bedside tables from Casa Orengo, Turin
Estimate $150,000 - 250,000
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12
Gio Ponti
Large covered vase
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
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13
Gio Ponti
Illuminated "Parete Organizzata"
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $87,500
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14
Hans J. Wegner
"Peacock" easy chair, model no. JH521
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $68,750
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15
Hans J. Wegner
"Roman" armchair
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
Sold for $33,750
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16
Eugene Schoen
Important table from the Radio-Keith-Orpheum (RKO) Roxy Theatre at Rockefeller Center, New York
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $75,000
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17
Luis Barragán
Pair of stools from the Cuadra San Cristóbal, Mexico City
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
Sold for $30,000
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18
Ron Arad
"Blo Void 4"
Estimate $70,000 - 90,000
Sold for $81,250
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19
Scott Burton
Pair of "Perforated Metal Chairs"
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $68,750
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20
Wendell Castle
Unique and important "Environment for Contemplation"
Estimate $250,000 - 350,000
Sold for $312,500
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21
Wendell Castle
Unique "Chaise Rocker"
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
Sold for $325,000
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22
Wendell Castle
Unique "In God We Trust" chair
Estimate $60,000 - 80,000
Sold for $75,000
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23
Jun Kaneko
Untitled
Estimate $20,000 - 30,000
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24
Harry Bertoia
Monumental "Sonambient" sounding sculpture
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
Sold for $125,000
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25
This lot is no longer available.
26
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Exceptional and monumental mantel clock case
Estimate $30,000 - 50,000
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27
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Massive mendiculus aquatic bird jar and cover
Estimate $100,000 - 150,000
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28
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Sir Edward George Clarke QC caricatured as a tall distinguished fantastical bird jar and cover
Estimate $150,000 - 250,000
Sold for $175,000
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29
R. W. Martin & Brothers
Colossal and extraordinary grotesque grinning crab
Estimate $250,000 - 350,000
Sold for $275,000
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Design Evening

New York Auction 13 December 2018

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Provenance

Literature

Catalogue Essay

Artist Biography

Ron Arad

18

Ron Arad

"Blo Void 4"

Design Evening

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