Charles B. Cobb

The distinctive furniture of Charles B. Cobb is driven by his interest with design.  He finds function on its own often boring – his ideal for a table would be a simple sheet of glass, levitated to the right height.  He also has little interest in tools and techniques for their own sake.  Not having traditional reverence for orthodox procedures leaves him free to work backwards from the design, although as he points out “wood being wood, certain techniques are unavoidable.”

His design sensibility is based on a fascination with organic forms and geometric elements – two disparate approaches which he combines in frequently startling and unexpected ways – exemplified by the contrast between the swirling acacia drawer fronts of the “Cherub” cabinet and its strictly geometric case, in which the material and structure is completely sublimated to the requirements of the design.

His furniture often works in unusual ways:  drawers open in odd directions, parts are seemingly precariously balanced on polished spheres and cones, and finishes combine auto body techniques with highly lacquered natural surfaces.  Not only is design king with Cobb – it must be fun.