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The Truth of Material

When Johnny Poux was nine or ten years old his family moved to France for several years. Living in Paris he visited an exhibition at the then newly opened Pompidou Center dedicated to the work of visionary Modernist sculptor Constantin Brancusi. "I'm not even sure exactly what I saw there," he says, "but it obviously had an effect."

Years later after majoring in Pratt College in industrial design and then spending ten years in historic restoration, Poux (yes, you pronounce the "x") set his course on making what he calls "primitive modernist" furniture. The simple, streamlined forms and precise approach to this materials bear the mark of his primary artistic influence. In his Dovetail line of chairs, benches and tables, a beautifully finished top in Honduran mahogany or white oak fits, by means of an oversized dovetail wedge, into a groove on top of a trapezoidal, poured concrete base. The shape of the base echoes precisely the bases Brancusi made to display his sculptures Ð and the fine quality of Poux's poured concrete would stand up well to the sculptor's notoriously exacting standards.

The contrast of fine and common materials, already evident in the Dovetail line, is an essential component of Poux's designs. The gently modernist geometry of his forms clears a path for us to experience the distinction between the enduring presence of solid mahogany and the pliability of construction-grade plywood, the light gleam of stainless steel and the dull groundedness of concrete. In the process, he allows the honest essence of his materials to speakÑanother of Brancusis' obsessions fulfilled.

Who would have guessed that such a profound influence would begin with such a simple childhood experience? Maybe it's time to pack up the kids and go visit the new MoMA...

The Journal News

Design

Contemporary Furniture with a nod to Mom and Dad's Formica

Johnny Poux approaches furniture design with the proficiency of a carpenter and the artistry of a sculptor. That's no coincidence. For almost 10 years, Poux worked as a carpenter, and he takes his inspiration not from fellow furniture makers, but from Constantin Brancusi, the modernist sculptor.

Today, Poux's new collection of handmade furniture will make its debut to the trade at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, one of the nation's premiere showcases for modern furniture. In business for three years, the 34-year-old Poux (he pronounces the "x") is one of the industry's rising stars. In his first appearance at the fair last year, the work of this Hastings-on-Hudson craftsman caught the attention of the national design press.

This year, Poux hopes for the same kind of recognition when he unveils eight new prototypes, including one high-design piece called Gemini. This combination table and chair is made from marine and aircraft plywood with a veneer of African mahogany. The table turns into a chair when the top hinges open, revealing an ultrasuede cushion. Aircraft cable attached to stainless steel balls holds it open.

"I was playing," says Poux, while demonstrating his creation in his downtown White Plains workshop. "It was fun to explore the possibilities and push the materials a little bit."

Also new this year are the mercury chair and dining and coffee tables, all of which have 1950s-esque slanted steel legs. The leafed dining table was influenced by a Formica one he grew up with , which he has "Taken to a new level." His version is...(continued)

Paper

Honest Material

Furniture Designer Johnny Poux

Ask a contemporary furniture designer who his or her heroes are and you'll probably hear a list of usual suspects: Eames, Prouve, Aalto, Periand. Ask Johnny Poux (the last name rhymes "nukes") who has influenced him and you'll hear, well, nothing for a moment. It's not a particular designer's style the interests him, he says, but rather "honest materials used appropriately." The 33-year-old asserts, "if you don't know how to work the material, you don't have the vocabulary to design it."

Clearly, Poux is skilled at both. After tow years developing his own line, he signed an exclusive deal with the dealer Dennis Miller Associates in December. At the State University of New York at Binghamton, Poux claims to have majored in "drinking and dating." He also dabbled in physics. When he signed up for a course in graphics but found it full, he serendipitously tried the three-dimensional design. That inspired him to transfer to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, to major in industrial design.

Poux put himself through Pratt working as a carpenter Ð with no prior experience. By doing historic restoration and preservation for nine years, he learned how to use tools and materials, but also, he says, to "appreciate the elegant simplicity of old buildings."

For his senior project, Poux cast a park lamp in concrete and eventually he was building furniture that combined concrete with hard woods. His sculpted, curved towers of Honduran mahogany or cherry, for example, take root in concrete. He also works his alchemy on such ordinary materials as laminated plywood, transforming it into a richly triped stool resembling an African drum. When forced to give a name to his style, he come up with combinations line "modern primitive" and "Afro-Asian."

For the past year, Poux has been working part time for the fabulous furniture designer Chris Lehrecke. "I saw a piece of his five years ago and it really struck a chord." Poux says of Lerhrecke, "I saw a piece of his five years ago and it really struck a chord." Poux says of Lerhrecke. Obviously, the feeling is mutual. "What makes Johnny's work so great, " is that he sticks with simple ideas, then uses materials in an original way to give the furniture a contemporary twist. He's also an amazing craftsman. Everything he makes is just done beautifully."