Seth Rolland

Raised by architects, I grew up with Eames, Aalto and Danish furniture and learned early that form follows function. I have been making furniture for over 20 years, first in Taos, New Mexico and now in Port Townsend, WA. During that time my work has evolved to be more sculptural while still retaining all its function. I strive to make furniture that is clean lined, animated, friendly, fun and thought provoking. I enjoy discovering the limits of my materials and finding ways around those. My designs evolve through sketches, models and mockups to ensure that the curves and proportions are well balanced from all angles. I cut, join, carve, assemble and finish each piece by hand to guarantee the highest quality craftsmanship at every stage.

I see my current work as fitting into 3 groups. One group of designs is organic, curved pieces inspired by the simplicity, beauty and motion of natural forms. I use a variety of methods to shape these curves including carving, steam bending, lamination and vacuum forming. In another series I am exploring the range of forms that can be created from a single piece of wood cut part way through and expanded through steam bending, creating furniture with hardly any glue or joinery. The nature of the wood itself restricts the curves to ones that are both dramatic and extremely fluid. The last series combines wood with natural stone. In these pieces the wood is literally balanced by the weight of the stone. Often the design switches the usual qualities of the materials – the wood may look sharp and hard, while the organic shape of the stone makes it seem soft and friendly by comparison.