'Tom Dixon: Metalhead', Themes & Variations, London, 22 November 2023-13 January 2024
Literature
Tom Dixon, Camila Belton and Robert Violette, Dixonary: Illuminations, Revelations and Post-rationalizations from a Chaotic Mind, London, 2013, p. 227
Catalogue Essay
Designed by Tom Dixon in 2008 from flame-cut steel sheets using industrial techniques for the manufacture of tanks, submarines and bank safes, the extraordinary weightiness of the present chair spurs an ironic commentary of the ubiquity of flat-pack furniture in today's market. Furthermore, as part of a limited series of domestic pieces including chairs, tables, swings and even highchairs, this collection was created specifically for Sudeley Castle, a residence near Cheltenham in the United Kingdom dating back to the 14th century. A staggering 700 years of conflict between warring factions transpired on these grounds, and as such, no traces of the furnishings from previous generations survived. This location provided a historically significant backdrop for Dixon's heavyweight pieces, which were designed intentionally to be 'durable enough for the next 1000 years'.
