FOREWORD by Julia Burdet, Editor of Bridge For Design
Peter Harvey, the furniture and interior architect, considers every aspect of a space from structural proportion to ambience when he takes on a commercial or residential interior design project. Functional pieces of furniture – chairs, tables, even lamps, are designed as unique and individual works of art and emphasize the geometric proportions of the space, and he designs sensory features which accentuate a cohesive environment.
“It is impossible not to be affected by the humor and joy intrinsic to Peter Harvey’s work” says Julia Burdet, Editor of Bridge For Design, the magazine for interior designers in the UK and US. “But as is the case with so many of the most brilliant designers through the ages, the purity and simplicity of the result belies the complexity of his ground-breaking concepts and designs.”
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Sourire has the contours of a lip.
“Based on three points of balance, I wanted the Sourire to give the perception of floating, elevating the sitter off the ground! Its relaxed inviting attitude provides freedom of movement for individuals, Lovers, Mother and child to sit and recline in the womb like form, at the same time addressing the importance of ergonomics” Harvey says.
Sourire Chaise Longue has a multi-functional form with a gradual ergonomic line that provokes the sitter to orientate their body into the form, allowing them to lie on their side, or on their back with their head at either end of the chaise.
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Tongue-in-Cheek is a sculptural celebration of the tongue, based on the curves and movement of the sensual and communicative organ. The Tongue Module is a pure minimal organic form accentuating the reverse-cantilever. It cradles and suspends the sitter like an outstretched hand.
Sourire is made of glass reinforced plastic (GRP), a strong and flexible dynamic material – unsurpassed for creating fluid forms. The inherent flexibility of the material, GRP aesthetically captures the fluid expression and dynamics of Tongue-in-Cheek, so that the chair can flex and react along the length in response to the sitter.
“I look at my work as functional sculpture. One piece could stand on its own integrity in a room like a piece of sculpture. Each piece and every element of the design should exist on its own merit. One should be able to walk around the pieces and appreciate them from all angles; they need space and they need to be able to breathe.”
Peter Harvey’s spiritual and ecological philosophies infuse his design. His appreciation of the natural world inspires the sensual, organic and sculptural forms of his work which in turn inform the diverse choice and use of materials using a combination of craft skills and industrial techniques.
Peter Harvey produces ‘one-off’ commissions, Ltd editions to open-numbered series of products in reinforced plastic, glass, wood/upholstery, and cast metals, produced by hand in Finland, Italy and Spain. “A lot of customers want to invest in a special piece – they want something unique in what is becoming a homogeneous - mass-produced led market”