Raie sur raie

This design shows my ability to use the curved shapes of barrel staves. These curved
wood fibers, forged by coopers and aged by the passing years, acquired their colors
through contact with red wine.
A combination of wood and metal makes this design possible: hidden inside the hollow
body of solid oak, a skeleton of square steel tubing strengthens the pieces and limits the
sideways shrinkage of the wood. The framework also enabled me to attach the legs and
the tail and to reinforce the fins. It includes a system of springs that creates constant traction,
adapting to the wood’s reactions to humidity changes and strengthening the delicate
structure. The legs are solid: they are filled with a glued assemblage of several kinds of
wood. A single unscrewable split peg holds each leg in place in its metal housing.
These surprising barrels result in surprising ergonomics….let yourself be carried away by
this sensuous creature of the deep whose tactile and visual contrasts create a unique
sensory impression!
Further information:
For a human being 5.9 feet tall, sitting in this chair gives an immediate feeling of dominating
the world!
The contrasting finishes were obtained through alternative masking, which resulted in two
different surfaces. The matte, non-fibrous elements are like the skate’s skin, and the other
elements were glazed, polished, and bleached with hydrogen peroxide. The grain was
highlighted with Blanc de Meudon, and an ultra-brilliant varnish containing mother of
pearl was applied. Between the gills, under the seat, a discreet split peg activates a latch
that opens a hatch leading to an empty area that allows one to access part of the inner
mechanism, and a bolt that enables the seat and tail to be removed. Simultaneously sliding
two lock bolts hidden under the bottom of the point makes the white polished chair back
recline. It masks the metal structure of the seat back, the screw that enables the wooden
back to be removed from its metal spinal column, the year the piece was built, and my logo,
which was hot-stamped into the wood: the words “Metamorphose Didier Guenard”
placed on an infinity symbol. Presentation on a polished stainless steel platform / mirror of 100 x 120 cm belted in black wood on three sides, with a walking height of 18 cm.