Ron Arad’s Oh, the Farmer and the Cowman Should be Friends will star in a design auction at Phillips New York on June 6.
The contemporary piece is a large sculptural bookcase in the shape of the USA.
It’s constructed from stainless and corten steel.
The bookcase is a large map of the USA
Corten takes on a weathered, rusted appearance after exposure to the elements and provides a contrast to the pristine stainless steel.
The title comes from the song of the same name from classic musical Oklahoma.
Phillips comments: “An imposing work executed on an architectural scale, the current lot serves both as a bookcase and as an evocative, sculptural installation.”
It’s expected to sell for around $250,000-350,000.
There’s also a series of works by celebrated Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata (1934-1991).
These include a Cabinet de Curiosite (1989), one of an edition of 40.
It’s constructed from brightly coloured Perspex acrylic and features a display case in the centre that appears to float in mid-air.
There’s no estimate for the piece, but it’s likely to be in the $100,000-120,000 range. Another example realised $98,500 at Phillips in 2010.
Kuramata’s record at auction stands at £269,000 ($346,715), set for his iconic Miss Blanche armchair in 2015.
The sale will feature a range of work from other big names in design, including Fornasetti and Pierre Chareau.
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