Maarten Baas introduced his Clay Furniture at the 2006 Salone del Mobile in Milan. For all designs in this series, which includes a bookcase, tables, seating elements, and fans in various sizes, synthetic clay is moulded by hand around a steel construction. It is then left to harden and lacquered. Obvious variations in the shape of both construction and clay layer are welcomed, as Baas fully exploits the opportunity of producing designs in a series while still creating unique pieces that radiate individuality. Some of Baas’ Dutch design contemporaries, such as Marcel Wanders and Tord Boontje, workin a similar spirit, but Baas’ Clay Chair has a more handmade appearance than the Knotted Chair by Wanders or Boontje’s Shadowy, and the variations between copies of Baas’ chairs is much more pronounced than between their designs. Aaron Betsky refers to Baas’ work as ‘neo-primitivism’ and Baas himself alludes to a ‘clumsy language of form’ as he strives for an aesthetic that differs from the one usually found in the design world.
Text: Ingeborg de Roode
