John Eric Byers “Block Bench for Two”, Blackened Maple. Original Price: $18,000

Design Plus Gallery presents the Blackened Maple Wood Block Bench for Two by John Eric Byers. This monolithic piece is a mash up of bold, modern geometries combined with traditional craft. The wood is hand-carved and lacquered with a distinctive textured pattern to give a sophisticated finish to a simplified silhouette. While the forms are strikingly geometric and minimal, they are contrasted with the superb craftsmanship and intricacy he brings to the material’s outer surface. As noted by Grace Glueck in the New York Times, “The carved, patterned surfaces add considerable interest to his simplified forms, as does his exquisite attention to detail.” A former student of Wendell Castle, John’s work is guided by purity of form, structure, and surface texture, as well as a great respect for the materials he works with. The bench shows minor wear that is consistent with minimal usage.