Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988), a Japanese-American sculptor, was one of the most prominent sculptors of the 20th century. Throughout his long career he not only created sculptures but also gardens, furniture, lighting designs, ceramics, architecture, and set designs. Noguchi did not belong to any artistic movement in particular, but worked with artists in a range of different schools. He said, “To limit yourself to any particular style may make you an expert of that particular viewpoint or school, but I do not wish to belong to any school. I am always learning, always discovering.” His viewpoint was reflected in the diversity of his works.
One of his most famous pieces is a coffee table that he designed in 1939 for the president of the MOMA in New York City. The table made such an impression on the design team at Herman Miller that they hired Noguchi to design a similar table – this table is still manufactured and sold today. The table is a “sculpture-for-use”. The base of the table is carved from solid walnut and is made of two, identical, biomorphic parts. One part is flipped upside down and interlocks with the other creating a smooth, flowing, continuous form. The shape of the base is self-supporting and stable enough to allow the heavy glass tabletop to be placed on top without any connections to the base. The elegance of the piece is in its simplicity. The relationship between the two identical wooden pieces that is achieved simply by altering their orientation to one another (being that one is flipped) creates an interest from all angles. In addition to the base’s relationship to itself, the altered orientations of the pieces also form unique relationships with the glass top. The top is transparent allowing for these relationships to be easily observed. One piece touches only at one point, while the other touches along its entire long side. This simple difference of relationship is interesting. Also, the glass is a third
