Description:

RARE!! Paul Evans "Sculpture Front" Wall Panel. Welded, and patinated steel. Painted, gilded, and patinated steel. Unsigned.

Paul Evans studied silver smithing at the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York. With the help of art patron Aileen Vanderbilt Webb, Evans received a scholarship to attend the Cranbrook Academy of Art. Evans did not complete his degree, but spent time working as a silversmith at Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts. There, Evans demonstrated traditional silver-smithing techniques, as he also became a celebrated artist in his own right.

In 1951, Evans stopped by the shop of New Hope, Pennsylvania artist Phillip Lloyd Powell, who sold modern furnishings by some of the more well-known designers of the time including lamps by Isamu Noguchi.

In 1955, Evans moved permanently to New Hope, and began collaborating with Phillip Powell. By the fifties New Hope, an historical arts community, had become a hub of artists interested in modern art and design. Powell and Evans combined their talents in wood and metal, respectively, crafting one-of-a-kind cabinets, screens, and shelving units. In 1958, Evans began making steel-front cabinets with his unique style of revealing the welding joints.

Evans' work was greatly aided by collaboration with the machinist Dorsey Reading who began working with Evans in 1959, crafting the base structures for Evans pieces and completing modifications under Evans' direction. Their work was innovative and featured metals with pigment and acid treatments and edges treated with gold leaf.

Evans quickly attracted attention for his unconventional, yet brilliantly crafted work. In 1961 Powell and Evans held a two-man show featuring thirty pieces at the America House exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York, now named the Museum of Arts & Design. Around this time, Evans began work on the "bronze series" for the furniture manufacturer Directional, which was released in 1964. Another large commission for Evans included more than thirty pieces, worked in collaboration with Phillip Powell, completed for puppeteer ad children's television star, Shari Lewis. The two also created furniture for Rina and Norman Indictor.

However, it was Evans' work for Directional that spanned the course of his career. One of the most iconic works from this collection was the Disc Bar, a circular cabinet with sculpted-bronze doors that appeared as if they had been worked in clay. Evans created new lines for Directional yearly, including the popular Argente line featuring welded aluminum and the ultra-modern Cityscape line in brass and chrome that Evans developed in the early 70s. Evans worked for Directional until 1980.

He retired seven years later and died of a heart attack at age fifty-six. Keywords: Mid Century Modern; Ref: BD3272

  • Provenance: Private Arizona Estate.
  • Dimensions: 30" width x 96" height x 2.5-3" edge depth / (There are pieces within the panel that protrude up to 4-5" from the wall)
  • Literature: Todd Merrill and Julie V. Iovine, Modern Americana: Studio Furniture from High Craft to High Glam, New York, 2008, pp. 98-99 (for related examples from the "Sculpture Front" series)

    Jeffrey Head, Paul Evans: Designer & Sculptor, Atglen, PA, 2012, pp. 40-41 and 47-49 (for related examples from the "Sculpture Front" series)

    Constance Kimmerle, ed., Paul Evans: Crossing Boundaries and Crafting Modernism, exh. cat., Doylestown, PA, 2014, pp. 162-163 (for related examples from the "Sculpture Front" series)

  • Medium: painted, gilded and patinated steel
  • Notes: Bradford's recommends any out-of-town bidders please get shipping quotes before you bid. Bidders can contact our recommended 3rd party shipper Westside Mail Center at 623-825-6016 or [email protected] for any shipping quotes or questions. If the winning bidder is local, please bring additional help for loading as this work is extremely heavy.
  • Condition: This piece is in great condition, with signs of wear commensurate with age. Please review the photos and condition for details.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, COD (cash on delivery), Discover, MasterCard, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

LOCAL PICK-UP INFORMATION:
Monday through Wednesday 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
LOCATION: 15210 N 99th Ave Sun City, AZ 85351
CROSS STREET: (Located at the NW Corner of 99th Ave and Greenway Rd)

LOCAL PICK UP - ARIZONA FIREARMS BUYERS
Arizona residents MUST pick-up in person at Bradford's Auction Gallery with a scheduled date of pick up. Details and information will be included on the winning bidders invoice. Any local Arizona Buyer of Post 1898 firearms MUST complete all necessary registration forms at Bradford's Auction Gallery. Local Buyers MUST have a Valid ARIZONA ID with Current Physical Address. If your Arizona ID does not reflect your current address you MUST provide us with a secondary form of ID that contains your correct address. Arizona Gun Dealers must have a signed copy of their Federal Firearms License in order to accept delivery of modern weapons. ANY DENIED BACKGROUND CHECK WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE.

OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING:
For out of town buyers, once we have received your payment your purchase will be turned over to Westside Mail Center our exclusive shipping provider. Westside Mail Center will proactively reach out to you to arrange packing, shipping and insurance.

OUT OF TOWN SHIPPING FIREARMS BUYERS:
Shipping for Out-of-State Buyers must be done through our 3rd Party Shipper Westside Mail Center. All firearms Post 1898 must be shipped to a valid holder of a Federal Firearms License on ALL Modern Weapons. The full cost of shipping and packing will be at the winning bidders / buyers expense. It is your responsibility to provide Westside Mail Center with the FFL dealer of your choice and they are responsible for sending the 3rd party shipper a copy of their FFL information. FIREARMS UNABLE TO BE SHIPPED TO YOUR STATE WILL RESULT IN A REFUND MINUS A 25% RESTOCKING FEE AND SHIPPING COSTS IF APPLICABLE.

We've Partnered with Westside Mail Center for all of your auction shipping needs. They offer FedEx, DHL, UPS and USPS services for most parcels. For those larger items, Packing, Shipping, Crating & Freight services are available. For questions related to shipping please feel free to contact them directly for shipping questions or quotes.

Westside Mail Center
13794 W Waddell Rd Suite 203, Surprise, AZ 85379
Mon-Fri 9am - 6pm, Saturdays 9am - 2pm , Closed Sundays.
Phone: 623-825-6016
Email: [email protected]
www.westsidemailcenter.com

Note: For fastest and best results on shipping, we recommend using Westside Mail Center as your shipper, but are happy to meet with your 3rd party shipper of choice if you prefer to use a shipper other than Westside Mail Center. All packing and shipping from any company besides Westside Mail Center must be arranged and coordinated by the winning bidder / buyer within 5 days from the date of the sale or an additional storage surcharge could apply.

All fees and costs associated with shipping are separate from the hammer price (winning bid), buyer's premium and sales taxes. The winning bidder / buyer is solely responsible for the shipping. Bradford's can assist the winning bidder / buyer by arranging shipping and insurance through our preferred shipper. The winning bidder / buyer has the right to arrange their own shipping with a 3rd party shipper at their own expense. Bradford's Auction Gallery reserves the right to ship parcels via our own in-house shipping methods, based on actual weight or dimensional weight (whichever is greater).

The designated 3rd party shipper will ship to the address provided on the winning bidder / buyers invoice. It is the winning bidder / buyers responsibility to communicate with the shipper and provide any specific shipping requirements, address information or details that will ensure proper delivery.

The winning bidder is responsible for understanding the import fees and import laws of their respective province/state/country. It is also the bidder's responsibility to obtain any and all import documentation (import/export licenses, certificates or other documentation) prior to bidding.

Bradford's

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $5
$100 $199 $10
$200 $999 $20
$1,000 $4,999 $50
$5,000 $9,999 $100
$10,000 + $200