Description
Provenance and Background Info
A ONE-OFF Chaise Lounge lovingly HAND-CRAFTED in AUSTRALIA by celebrated AUSTRALIAN furniture designer and master-craftsman, Will Marx. Known as “Ulysses”, this piece is the recipient of numerous awards and extensive media attention not just in Australia but abroad. A courtesy glance at this piece is enough to show you why. I said “wow”- out loud- the second I saw it (and after over 20 years in this business that never happens)! “Ulysses” has a magic that everyone is striving to achieve but very few actually do. Will Marx is a true artist- he’s most at home when he’s creating. It’s the giving of joy through his designs that Will most loves about his “work”. I suspect this is why many of his pieces have this elusive magic. True “magic” is effortless- there is no “striving” in Will’s work because he creates furniture for the sheer love of it. Inspired by the delicate beauty and curved lines of the Ulysses butterfly, this chaise lounge is hand-shaped from beautiful Walnut. The stunning elegance of the butterfly form, together with the rich dark hues of the timber creates an elegant and exquisite accent piece. The upholstery on this chair is a commercial-grade cotton-blend, Mokum textile. The fabric is embossed with delicate tree-motifs that carry a shimmer not unlike the iridescent glow of the Ulysses butterfly’s wings. In my opinion, the refined elegance that “Ulysses” captures is beyond the magic first shown in Danish Furniture in the 1950’s by the likes of Hans Wegner and Nils Thorrson- a bold comment to make but one I believe.
And it’s not just me who shares this level of excitement for “Ulysses”. This piece won a Queensland Furniture Design Award in 2011. This exact piece has been on the exhibition circuit including the Queensland Museum and the Queensland Gallery. “Ulysses” was showcased in a Designer Spotlight interview in Tasmanian Timber as well Elle magazine, Casaviva magazine (Italy), El Aviso magazine (Mexico), Homes & Interiors magazine (Scotland), Slobodna Dalmacija newspaper (Croatia) and Gael magazine (France).
Will Marx is a Brisbane-based designer and Master Craftsman with over 25 years-experience in the furniture craftsman industry. He studied with local furniture master craftsman, Robert Dunlop before starting his own furniture-making business called Maxcraft in 2001. It has only been more recently that Will has devoted all his professional attention to spending days alone in his workshop with slabs of raw timber, his bare hands and the feeling of adventure and excitement that comes from creating bespoke pieces.
To say that “Ulysses” is well-made is a ridiculous statement- you can see from the photos but what you can’t see is that the seat section is actually moulded fibreglass. This makes the structure of “Ulysses” virtually indestructible. All of Will’s work is accompanied by a 10-year structural guarantee- Ulysses will last FOREVER if used with any sense. With the revolving door from shop-to-home-to-landfill spinning faster than ever it’s inspiring to come across furniture that will be passed onto future generations. Schulim Krimper’s pieces are now raising up to $50,000 in auction- Will Marx’s work is destined to do the same thing. His pieces are not just the antiques of tomorrow but an inspiration to all who come across them.
18…
