Untitled Side Table, 2016

James Bearden (b. 1964)
Untitled Side Table
American, 2016

Torch-cut and patinated steel, fused bronze, glass enamel

A deeply recessed, bowl-form upper section is raised on a dynamic tripod base. Its surface is densely worked with clustered vertical elements of varying heights, creating a complex interior landscape. Rich tones of blue, violet, and black emerge through the darkened surface. A fitted circular glass top rests within the raised perimeter.

The table reflects Bearden’s ability to merge sculpture and functional design. The heavily worked surface and organic asymmetry recall geological, mineral, and marine forms, while the circular top and tripod base provide a strong underlying structure.

As with much of Bearden’s work, surface and material play a central role, with layered patination and fused elements creating substantial depth and variation.

James Bearden (American, b. 1964) is an abstract sculptor whose work explores the intersection of sculpture, architecture, and functional design. Working primarily in metal, Bearden has produced a number of ongoing series, including Cathedral, Assemblage, Voids, and Lunar Blooms. His work is held in corporate, municipal, and prominent private collections.

James’s pieces are hyper-organic — they look less made than discovered, as if they’ve fallen from space or been pulled from the bottom of the ocean after a thousand years. This little table feels like it has a story that started somewhere far beyond the studio where it was made. —P. Bavasi

PROVENANCE
Acquired from the artist.

REFERENCE
New York Design Center, The Gallery at 200 Lex, James Anthony Bearden: Technical and Aesthetic Revelations, January 10–February 25, 2020.

LITERATURE
L. Weinberg, “Bold and Beautiful: Brutalism Is Making a Star of James Bearden,” Interior Design, January 2017.
T. McKeough, “Experience James Bearden’s Primal Metalwork,” 1stDibs Introspective, February 6, 2017.
V. L. Ingham, “The Brutal World of James Bearden,” dsm magazine, May–June 2017.