Easy Edges Wiggle Side Chair

Designer Frank Owen Gehry (American, born 1929)

Manufacturer Stitch-Pack Co., Inc.

Datedesigned 1970, manufactured about 1970

Dimensions33 1/4 x 22 5/8 x 14 1/4 in. (84.4 x 57.5 x 36.2 cm)

MediumCardboard, laminated; hardboard

ClassificationFurniture

Credit LinePurchased with funds from the Florence Scott Libbey Bequest in Memory of her Father, Maurice A. Scott

Object number

1994.60

Not on View

Label TextStrong, environmentally sustainable, and highly sculptural, the Easy Edges series brought architect Frank Gehry overnight success as a furniture designer. Gehry's “Wiggle” chair references the innovative design aesthetic of the 1960s, and, like his architecture, it is characterized by abstract, sculptural qualities. He designed the series between 1969 and 1972 using cardboard as a surprising, lightweight, and cost-efficient material. The Easy Edges pieces owe their robustness and structural stability to the architectural quality of their design. Each of the multiple layers consists of one continuous curving strip of corrugated cardboard running in alternate directions. These are framed with a fiberboard edging (giving the series its name) glued together and held by hidden screws for strength. The pleasing sculptural and sensory qualities of the “Wiggle” side chair are enhanced by the changing surface texture of the cardboard, which becomes soft and suede-like with use.