Matthias Pliessnig
Encyclopedia
Matthias Pliessnig is an acclaimed furniture designer based in Philadelphia whose work uses steam bended
wood. His style is "kinetically contemporary" and he uses "computer-aided curves with laborious craftsmanship" to handcraft chairs and benches.
Pliessnig is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design
and the University of Wisconsin (Madison). His interest in woodworking developed after he decided to build a boat and was inspired to apply those techniques, particularly steam bending of wood strips around a mold, to furniture making. The New York Times reported that his studio "looks more akin to a boat-builder’s garage than an icy SoHo loft, which makes sense when you consider the lunular shapes of Pliessnig’s chairs."
His first solo exhibition was hosted by Philadelphia's Wexler Gallery in 2008. Plessing's 2003 Shell is made of woods laminated mahogany
wood strips around a concrete
form. His work Bends is a bowed bench made from a grid of wood that "gives way to support the sitter".
In 2010, he was named a Fellow by United States Artists
.
Steam bending
Steam bending is a woodworking technique where strips of wood are steamed to make them pliable and are bent around a mould. It is a time-honored method in wooden boat building for shaping boat frames. It is also used to make traditional wooden lacrosse sticks....
wood. His style is "kinetically contemporary" and he uses "computer-aided curves with laborious craftsmanship" to handcraft chairs and benches.
Pliessnig is a graduate of Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design is a fine arts and design college located in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1877. Located at the base of College Hill, the RISD campus is contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources and...
and the University of Wisconsin (Madison). His interest in woodworking developed after he decided to build a boat and was inspired to apply those techniques, particularly steam bending of wood strips around a mold, to furniture making. The New York Times reported that his studio "looks more akin to a boat-builder’s garage than an icy SoHo loft, which makes sense when you consider the lunular shapes of Pliessnig’s chairs."
His first solo exhibition was hosted by Philadelphia's Wexler Gallery in 2008. Plessing's 2003 Shell is made of woods laminated mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
wood strips around a concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
form. His work Bends is a bowed bench made from a grid of wood that "gives way to support the sitter".
In 2010, he was named a Fellow by United States Artists
United States Artists
United States Artists is an independent nonprofit and nongovernmental philanthropic organization based in Los Angeles, California and dedicated to supporting the work of living American artists by the granting of cash awards, called USA Fellowships...
.