The design of brutalist furniture encompasses that which is crafted, hewn and worked by hand — an aesthetic rebuke (or, at least, a counterpoint) to furniture that is created using 21st-century materials and technology. Lately, the word “brutalist” has been adopted by the realms of furniture design and the decorative arts to refer to chairs, cabinets, tables and accessory pieces such as mirror frames and lighting that are made of rougher, deeply textured metals and other materials that are the visual and palpable antithesis of the sleek, smooth and suave.
ORIGINS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGN
BRUTALIST FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
VINTAGE BRUTALIST FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The term brutalism — which derives from the French word brut, meaning “raw” — was coined by architecture critic Reyner Banham to describe an architectural style that emerged in the 1950s featuring monumental buildings, usually made of unornamented concrete, whose design was meant to project an air of strength and solidity.
Le Corbusier essentially created the brutalist style; its best-known iterations in the United States are the Whitney Museum of American Art, which was designed by Marcel Breuer, and Paul Rudolph's Yale Art and Architecture Building. The severe style might have been the most criticized architectural movement of the 20th century, even if it was an honest attempt to celebrate the beauty of raw material. But while the brutalist government buildings in Washington, D.C., seemingly bask in their un-beauty, brutalist interior design and decor is much more lyrical, at times taking on a whimsical, romantic quality that its exterior counterparts lack.
Paul Evans is Exhibit A for brutalist furniture design. His Sculpture Front cabinets laced with high-relief patinated steel mounts have become collector's items nonpareil, while the chairs, coffee table and dining table in his later Cityscape series and Sculpted Bronze series for Directional Furniture are perhaps the most expressive, attention-grabbing pieces in American modern design. Other exemplary brutalist designers are Silas Seandel, the idiosyncratic New York furniture designer and sculptor whose works in metal — in particular his tables — have a kind of brawny lyricism, and Curtis Jere, a nom-de-trade for the California team of Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels, the bold makers of expressive scorched and sheared copper and brass mirror frames and wall-mounted sculptures.
Brutalist furniture and sculptures remain popular with interior designers and can lend unique, eccentric, human notes to an art and design collection in any home.
Find authentic vintage brutalist chairs, coffee tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Brutalist Metal Hand Sculpted Owl Attributed to Sergio Bustamonte
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage hand sculpted Brutalist Mexican metal Folk Art owl attributed to Sergio Bustamonte, circa 1960s.
Metal
Brutalist Sculpture "Family" Signed Italy, circa 1961 Manner of Marcello Fantoni
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist sculpture "Family" signed Italy, circa 1961, manner of Fanoni. Amazing form surface Classic modernist well executed.
Metal
Modern Abstract Welded Cut Steel Garden Sculpture, Brutalist Design
Located in Buffalo, NY
Modern abstract welded steel garden sculpture, Brutalist Design, very well executed, wonderful original patina, handmade steel sculpture,, Been living in a garden of prominent Buffal...
Cut Steel
Folk Art Bicycle Stool, 1980s France
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique bicycle style stool made in France, circa 1980s. Unique design with great contrasting colors from the brown seat to the electric blue body and the black rubber base. Perfect p...
Metal
Brutalist Hanging Wall Sculpture by Bill Heise, Found Objects
By Bill Heise
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist hanging wall sculpture by Bill Heise. Found objects, hand executed from found objects, welded The pieces are crafted from turn-of-the-century farm equipment collected from the fields of Vermont, maritime parts salvaged from around the Bay Area, and railroad components, antique tools, and other vintage metal found throughout America. The delicate lines and whimsical nature of Heise sculptures often defy the rugged origins of each component part. Railroad spikes, plough discs, pitchforks, shovel blades, and a myriad of other parts are transformed into birds in flight, cows out to pasture, tropical fish, and a variety of other wildlife forms. And there's always an interesting story behind each piece, be it the eighty something farmer who helped me retrieve equipment from the "back forty," frozen hands from digging a hay rake...
Metal, Steel
Carl Zollo (R.I.T.) Brutalist Melt Weld Cocktail Table / Sculpture
By Carl Zeiss
Located in Buffalo, NY
Offered is a wonderful metal art sculpture / coffee / cocktail table by well known Rochester NY sculpture Carl Zollo (1928-2009).Born November 10, 1928, Carl Zollo was a native Roche...
Steel
French Mid-Century Modern Stylized Fish Sculpture, France, 1950s
By Jean Touret, Claude and Francois-Xavier Lalanne
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A striking French Mid-Century Modern sculptural fish, handcrafted in formed and welded metal during the 1950s. This expressive artist’s work captures the essence of the animal throug...
Metal
Antique concrete sheep statue, first half of 1900s
Located in SAN PIETRO MOSEZZO, NO
Beautiful statue depicting a seated sheep, made in the first half of the 1900s or so in mixed concrete and stone grit material. The statue was hand-painted and shows signs of the pa...
Cement
Large Hand crafted wooden chess figure set, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage, sculptural chess figures, fully complete. Beautifully hand crafted and rough figures. Very decorative set. Made in Poland in the 1960s by WI Trojan, Poland. Sadly the ta...
Oak
Brutalist Sculpture of a Knight with Sword
Located in New York, NY
Impressive freestanding sculpture of a Knight with his sword drawn. The figure is constructed of various bits of metal, screws, washers, gears etc which at fist glance appear to be r...
Metal
Felix Timmermans '3 Wise Men' Flemish Folk Art Sculptures in Carved Wood 1970
Located in Meer, VAN
Felix Timmermans 'Three Wise Men' Flemish Folk Art Sculptures in Wood, Belgium, 1970 and 1972. This is a remarkable set of Flemish folk art sculptures carved out of wood in 1970 and...
Wood
Unique Bronze and Wood Sculpture by French Artist Francoise Mayeras
Located in leucate, FR
Big contemporary sculpture in wood and bronze. By French artiste Francoise Mayeras. Materials : Wood & Bronze Size : 120 × 32 × 15 cm Rarity : Unique Medium : Sculpture Condi...
Bronze
Train on Track with Smoke by Brutalist Artist Chet Blacketer
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderful and Heavily Patinated, very large example of Brutalist - a train on a track. The entire piece is a solid unit, very stable and also quite heavy. In the manner of Jere, ...
Iron
Large Heavy Brutalist Hand Forged in Israel Iron Hanukkah Menorah Sculpture
Located in Studio City, CA
A truly breathtaking work. Heavy, bold, and striking. We have not seen another quite like it. A statement piece in about any setting. Holds nine candles. Signed on the base "Hand...
Iron
Brutalist Wall Sculpture, Mixed Metals by B. Walters Schreiber After Paul Evans
By Paul Evans
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist wall sculpture, mixed metals by B. Walters Schreiber after Paul Evans. Wonderful wall hanging, hand executed, great example of classic Brutalist design.
Metal, Copper, Bronze
Brutalist Folk Art Sculpture "The Conference" by Abbott Pattison // Abstract Fig
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist Folk Art sculpture "The Conference" by Abbott Pattison, great sculpture made up of welded metal, screws, nuts etc, depicting abstract figures. Mounted on metal base with ba...
Metal
Brutalist Painted metal/ crushed steel Sculpture by John Metzen..
By John Metzan
Located in Buffalo, NY
Brutalist Painted metal/ crushed steel Sculpture by John Metzen ,,a contemporary Buffalo, NY-based sculptor known for his large-scale, Brutalist-style ab...
Steel
Welded Steel Abstract Brutalist Figure Sculpture by Donald E. Smith
Located in Dekalb, IL
Expressive welded steel figural sculpture depicting an abstract human form in a dynamic, lunging pose with one arm raised and the other extended outward. Constructed from an assembla...
Steel
Vintage Copper Painting by Germain Rotsaert, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Mid century artwork by Belgian artist Germain Rotsaert who uses melted copper and painted it to create colourfoul graphical works. Signed bottom left ? Measures: Height: 61cm/24...
Copper
Large Modernist Abstract Sculpture "INNERWOVEN STRUCTURE" by Duayne Hatchett
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large modernist abstract sculpture "INNERWOVEN STRUCTURE" by Duayne Hatchett. Amazing graceful bent layers of metal, can be mounted, hung as a mobile or on a stationary surface, i.e....
Metal
Vintage Boho Carved Wood Panel of Man
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This striking vintage wood panel is a masterful example of high-relief sculptural carving, likely inspired by classical mythology or Renaissance-era philosopher busts. Expertly hand-...
Wood
Aharon Bezalel Solid Brass Sculpture
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a rare and great example of Aharon Bezalels beautiful and evocative work. Aharon Bezalel lived and worked in Jerusalem. He studied carving and sculpture with the artists Ma...
Brass, Bronze
Brutalist Bird + Flower Statuette in Copper & Burl
By Tom Greene, Paul Evans, Curtis Jeré
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Bring home the charm and whimsy of mid-century brutalist decor with this attractive statue of a little bird with flowers. Constructed from wood burl and metal, it features a carved f...
Metal, Copper
Unusual Brutalist Bronze Figure Mounted Sculpture
By Paul Evans
Located in Buffalo, NY
Unusual Brutalist bronze figure mounted sculpture, emotionally charged, raw imagery, beautifully hand executed, depicting cloaked person amazin...
Bronze
$1,088Sale Price|20% Off
H 17 in W 20 in D 26 in
Early 20th Century Folk Art French Weather-Vane Plane
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century Folk Art French weather-vane plane. For sale in this lot is an early 20th century handmade Folk Art French weather-vane plane. Th...
Wood
$1,750
H 6.5 in W 10 in D 2.75 in
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Structure No. 222 occupies a quietly pivotal place within Jim Rose’s legacy, embodying his ability to extract meaning from the margins of his own making process. Created from found s...
Steel
Unavailable|$995
H 20 in W 3.5 in D 6.5 in
Signed Modern Abstract Constructivist Styled Wooden Sculpture
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This contemporary abstract wooden sculpture was done by Czeslaw Budny a Polish-Canadian artist in the constructivist style in circa 2010. This sculpture was made entirely of up-cycle...
Wood
A wood catchall mid-20th century French folk art
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A remarkable catchall, emblematic of mid-20th century French folk art, stands out for its ingenious use of half a fruit tree trunk, likely from a cherry tree. This particular trunk s...
Fruitwood
Wrought Iron Brutalist Bookends with Spiral Design
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Heavy and sculpturally interesting pieces indeed are our pair of spiral wrought iron Brutalist bookends - if you are a fan of midcentury pieces,...
Wrought Iron
Folk Art Carved and Painted Owl Decoy, USA, 1900's
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Folk Art carved and painted owl decoy, USA 1900's A decorative barn owl carving decoy Original paint with even wear. Mounted over a new iron stand. We have...
Wood
Unavailable|$995
H 19 in W 15 in D 12 in
Signed Modern Abstract Constructivist Styled Wooden Oak Sculpture Czeslaw Budny
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This contemporary abstract wooden sculpture was done by Czeslaw Budny a Polish-Canadian artist in the constructivist style circa 2019. This sculpture was made entirely of up-cycled, ...
Wood, Oak
Antique Folk Art Horse Sculpture
Located in Sheffield, MA
Wonderfully charming hand-carved 19th Century American folk art horse sculpture on stand. Pay special attention to its face and the carved details to appreciate this fine specimen. ...
Wood
Apollo Belvedere Sculpture
Located in Milan, IT
This magnificent bust of Apollo, the Greek god of art, medicine, and music is directly inspired by the Classic marble statues in the Roman tradit...
Plaster
Hebe's Bust Sculpture
Located in Milan, IT
This exceptional piece meticulously reproduces Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen's oeuvre realized in 1806 and preserved at the Thorvaldsen Museum ...
Other
Sergio Bustamante Metal Owl Sculpture
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Showcasing expressive folk-modernist character, this vintage mixed metal owl sculpture features a rotund body constructed from hundreds of individually cut and layered sheet metal fe...
Metal, Brass
$3,250
H 21 in W 31 in D 8 in
Italian Folk Art Fish Sculpture from 18th/19th Century Fragments Found Objects
Located in Forney, TX
A fabulous large Italian folk art fish sculpture. Hand-crafted in the 21st century using found 18th and 19th century architectural fragments and decorative antique / vintage elements...
Shell, Driftwood, Giltwood, Reclaimed Wood
$375Sale Price|70% Off
H 10 in W 5 in D 3 in
Antique Hand-Crafted Iron Gnome Sculpture Coin Bank, American, 1930s
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
Gnome hand cast and painted American antique garden sculpture and coin bank/doorstop In good condition considering its age.
Iron
Folk Art Standing Owl Wooden Carved Sculpture
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Lovely Folk Art wooden carved standing owlSculpture. It has bone around the eyes. Small chip on the base. We have specialized in the sale of Art Deco and Art Nouveau and Vintage st...
Bone, Wood
Important Ceramic Sculpture by Tim Orr, circa 1970
By Tim Orr
Located in Neuilly-en- sancerre, FR
An important ceramic sculpture by Tim Orr. Signed under the base, circa 1970.
Ceramic
A pair of vintage Brutalist woman man face book ends
Located in Houston, TX
A pair of Brutalist cast iron bookends featuring sculptural male and female profile silhouettes. Substantial in weight, these pieces have a strong architectural presence. They have a...
Wrought Iron
Brutalist Hand-Made Iron Sculpture by M. Di Giovanni, Italy 1970s
By M. Di Giovanni
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy, 1970s. It is made in iron entirely worked by hand. This sculptural panel of great scenographic impact unfortunately it is not signed but it is certainly by M. Di Gio...
Iron
Brutalist Iron + Ceramic Wall Sculpture, France 1970s
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1970s French brutalist wall sculpture created with patinated iron. This piece has rich textures and raw edges. It has beautiful inlaid ceramic detailing in pink and blue hues. Unsi...
Iron
Midcentury Curtis Jere Style Brutalist Metal Lily Flower Sculpture
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Southampton, NJ
An attractive accent lily sculpture having steel flowers with copper leaves in the manner of C. Jere. In fabulous, clean condition. circa 1960. Measures: 17.5x8x6” HWD.
Copper, Steel
Illegibly Signed Brutalist Metal Sculpture
Located in Astoria, NY
Brutalist Abstract sculpture, illegibly signed to base (Fuego?), circa late twentieth century. 34" H x 16.5" W x 7.5" D. Dealer: S138XX.
Metal
Sold
H 6 in W 2.25 in D 1.5 in
Pair of Brutalist Figurative Dancing Sculptures by Arturo Bassols, 1968
Located in View Park, CA
A pair of brutalist figurative sculptures by Arturo Bassols, signed by artist, 1968. Welded hand-worked metal and walnut wood, and each displaying a femme figure in mid-movement. Bassols (1932-2001) was a Cuban American artist who worked primarily with various mixed metals as bronze, iron, and copper, as well as wood and stone. He was a featured artist...
Metal
Sold
H 60 in W 27 in D 10 in
Hand Crafted Brutalist Mixed Metal 'Boat' Sculpture, Artist Made C.Jere Style
By Curtis Jeré
Located in Buffalo, NY
Hand Crafted Brutalist Mixed Metal 'BOAT' Sculpture, Artist Made.. C.Jere Style.. Amazing quality and construction.. Super detailed..Boat alone measures 30H x 27W.
Stone, Brass, Copper, Steel
Brutalist Large Metal Crane Sculpture
Located in Astoria, NY
Brutalist silver-tone metal sculpture of a large standing crane, with a textured surface and gilt eyes, apparently unsigned. 46.25" H x 35" W x 12" D.
Metal
Italian Brutalist Verdigris Bronze of Jupiter
Located in Astoria, NY
Italian Brutalist verdigris bronze sculpture of the Roman God Jupiter, wielding his thunderbolt. 9/5" H
Bronze
Sold
H 10.4 in W 3 in D 3 in
Neo Sumerian Style Bronze and Travertine Figurative Sculpture, 20th Century
Located in View Park, CA
A Neo Sumerian style bronze sculpture of a face, mounted on a raw travertine plinth, 20th century. The felted bottom also shows a sticker from a now shuttered antique...
Travertine, Bronze
Modernist Neo Sumerian style Bronze Sculpture of a Centaur, 20th Century
Located in View Park, CA
A rare and valuable modernist sculpture of a centaur, 20th century. Hand carved out of solid bronze with felted base. D’après Picasso with clear influence from Giacometti and Henry M...
Bronze
Sold
H 6.5 in W 14 in D 3 in
Metal Art Sergio Bustamante Attributed Handcrafted Fish Brutalist Era Mexico
Located in Miami, FL
Metal Art Brutalist style fish, animal sculpture in brass, tin & Ceramic attributed to Sergio Bustamante. Made in Mexico in the Mid-Century Modern Period. Stunner done and graceful...
Brass, Tin
Brutalist Metal Flame Sculpture, Circa 1970-1980's
Located in New York, NY
Unusual Butalist table sculpture having cut steel faux finish flame like pieces, welded together to form the structure, mounted on a black steel rectangular base. Executed in the s...
Cut Steel
Sold
H 52 in W 24 in D 32 in
Found Objects Assemblage Life Size Sculpture of Sitting Male Nude by Leo Sewell
By Leo Sewell
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Leo Sewell (born 7 September 1945 (age 76)) is an American "found object" artist. His assemblages of recycled material are in over 40 museums and in private collections worldwide. This life size sculpture of a nude man with legs crossed is a splendid example of Sewell's 'junk art...
Metal
Sold
H 17.33 in W 15.75 in D 6.7 in
Italian 1970s Brutalist Metal Sculpture of a Fish on a Black Marble Base
Located in London, GB
An Italian 1970s brutalist metal sculpture of a fish mounted on a black marble base.
Marble, Iron