Harry Bertoia said in 1944:
”Drawing is a way of learning, a way of finding a truth. A line commences somewhere, gathers momentum, spends its energy and comes to an equilibrium equivalent to a life-circle. It could also be said that it establishes its norm of balance and dimension. I draw what I don’t know in order to learn something about it. In 1955: There was a time when I thought that drawing was a way of learning, I know now it is more”.
In 1948, Harry Bertoia recalls “a plasticcoated wire dish rack impressed me and set my mind working in that direction”.
“In the chairs many functional problems have to be satisfied first – but when you get right down to it the chairs are studies in space, form and metal”. “If you will look at these chairs, you will find that they are mostly made of air, just like sculptures, space right through, passes them”.
“I started doing research into a. basic postures b., dynamic relations within the human body c. the volume occupied by those dynamic movements and d. points of rest and equilibrium”, Harry Bertoia says, these four lines of thought began to crystalize and take physical form in one basic modular unit – the diaond shape, which became the smallest unit of the ire shells and went up to the overall shape of the chair”.
“Everything should be separated according to function. In my sculpture, the horizontal supports are of wire, and vertical units are sheets metal. It is very clear, there is no confusion. In the chair there is a strong supporting structure made of steel rods. Then there is the thing that supported – a diamond-shaped form made of thin wire. There is a very clear distinction. I like to have things very ckear un that respect”.
