14 Chairs by Geraldo de Barros
About the Item
- Creator:Geraldo de Barros (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40 cm)Depth: 16.93 in (43 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1954
- Condition:Reupholstered. All 14 chairs are in good condition They have a few small stains on the upholstery They have a few small marks/scratches on the frame.
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:
Geraldo de Barros
Although best known for his photography, Geraldo de Barros was an important contributor to the canon of mid-century modern furniture design and was one of Brazil’s most influential multidisciplinary artists.
Born in 1923 in Chavantes, São Paulo, de Barros began his artistic career as a painter before discovering a passion for photography in the 1940s. In 1950, he found fame with his successful “Fotoformas” exhibition held at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, which led to a scholarship from the French government to study in that country.
In the early 1950s, de Barros traveled throughout Europe, including Switzerland, where he met Bauhaus graduate Max Bill. At the time, Bill was collaborating with the Scholl Foundation on developing a design institute in Ulm, Germany, that combined Bauhaus tradition with emerging technical elements in design practice. Bill invited de Barros to visit the institute, where he became influenced by Bill’s philosophy of Gute Form — the belief that carefully designed objects could bring artistic values into homes.
Upon his return to São Paulo, de Barros delved into furniture design. Along with engineer Justino Cardoso, metalworker Antônio Thereza, and a Dominican priest, Friar João Batista Pereira dos Santos, he founded the furniture company and Christian cooperative Unilabor, in 1954, on the outskirts of São Paulo.
As the firm’s chief designer, de Barros incorporated the concept of Concrete art into many of his pieces, particularly his armchairs. His dining room chairs, bookcases, coffee tables, cabinets and desks were also designed with straight lines, sobriety and functionality in mind and made with natural materials such as rosewood, jacaranda and iron. Given that it was more of a cooperative with a social mission than it was a manufacturer, Unilabor paid well and offered innovative modular furniture by way of de Barros-designed components that were produced serially to be used in the construction of complete furnishings.
Despite Unilabor’s success, the company ran into economic difficulties and eventually closed. Undaunted, de Barros founded another furniture company in 1964 — Hobjeto Indústria e Comércio de Móveis — where he focused on progressive furniture design with more geometric shapes.
During the 1960s, de Barros continued with furniture design and, as a painter, became interested in Pop art and abstract movements, founding influential groups such as Grupo 15, Galeria Rex and Grupo Ruptura.
In the 1990s, de Barros returned to his career as a photographer until his death in 1998. De Barros’s furniture was shown at several exhibitions during the 1950s and 1960s, including the Exposição Nacional de Arte Concreta in São Paulo in 1956 and the Konkrete Kunst exhibition in Zurich in 1960. His photographs and paintings have also been exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide.
On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Geraldo de Barros seating, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Cormano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Desk by Geraldo de BarrosBy Geraldo de BarrosLocated in Milano, LombardiaDesk by Geraldo de Barros. Brazil, 1950s. Manufactured by Unilabor. Wood, black painted metal, brass details. Measures: 109 x 52 x h 74 cm 42.9 x 20.4 x h 28.9 in. Item in fair con...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Coffee table by Geraldo de BarrosBy Geraldo de BarrosLocated in Milano, LombardiaCoffee table by Geraldo de Barros. Brazil, 1950's. Manufactured by Unilabor. Manufacturer's label. Wood, black painted metal, brass details. 110 x 45 x h 53 cm. 43.3 x 17.7 x h 20 in. Literature: Arich Chen, Brazil modern. The rediscovery of Twentieth-Century Brazilian Furniture...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- Chairs by Melchiorre BegaBy Melchiorre BegaLocated in Milano, LombardiaManufactured by Cassina The price is per unitCategory
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Chairs Campanula manufactured by ArflexBy Carlo PaganiLocated in Milano, LombardiaManufactured by Arflex Brass, fabric upholstery Bibliografia Literature: G. Gramigna, Repertorio del design italiano per l'arredamento ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Chair Swirl by Michael SchonerBy Michael SchonerLocated in Milano, LombardiaChair Swirl by Michael Schoner, the Netherlands, 2019. Nilufar edition. Aluminum, power-coated. Measures: 90 x 84 x H 76 cm, 35.4 x 33 x H 30 in. The metal movements of Michael Schoner’s objects are extreme experiments on the theme of seating. They stage seemingly easy and organic displays of balance, standing up thanks to complex engineering calculations that convert flat sheets of aluminium into the third dimension. While a piece of sheet metal curved only in one direction could never support the weight of a human body, the Swirl chair...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Modern Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Original Labi Chair by Alberto VitelioBy Alberto VitelioLocated in Milano, LombardiaOriginal Labi chair by Alberto Vitelio, Chile, 2019. Nilufar edition. Wood, automotive paint. Measures: 60 x 36 x 110 cm, 23.7 x 14.17 x 43.3 in. Alberto Vitelio comes from several g...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chilean Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood, Paint
- Pair of chairs by Geraldo De BarrosBy Geraldo de BarrosLocated in Barcelona, ESPair of chairs Manufactured by Unilabor Brazil, 1955 Iron, fabric upholstered Measurements 40 cm x 43 cm x 82h cm 15,78 in x 16,9 in x 32,28h in Literature Unilabor, by Mauro Claro...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Chairs
MaterialsIron
- 1950's Brazilian Set of 6 Chairs by Geraldo de BarrosBy Geraldo de BarrosLocated in New York, NYThe set of 6 chairs by Geraldo de Barros represents a pinnacle of artistic innovation and functional elegance, reflecting the visionary spirit of one of Brazil's most influential ar...Category
Vintage 1950s Brazilian Chairs
MaterialsCane
- Geraldo de Barros for Unilabor, Rosewood and Leather ChairBy Unilabor, Geraldo de BarrosLocated in Houston, TXGeraldo de Barros for Unilabor, This chair was designed in the late '50s. Unilabor was the first Brazilian labor cooperative. This chair presents a very minimal and discreet design, ...Category
Vintage 1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSuede, Rosewood
- Pair of chairs by Geraldo de Barros for Hobjeto, Brazil, 1970sBy Geraldo de BarrosLocated in Brasília, BRPair of chairs designed by Geraldo de Barros for Hobjeto in the 70s. Made from black lacquered veneer plywood. Fully restored and upholstered in a beige bouclé fabric. SEATING PAI...Category
Mid-20th Century South American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Set of six MT 552 by Geraldo de BarrosBy Geraldo de BarrosLocated in São Paulo, BRGeraldo de Barros (1923-1998), a multifaceted artist hailing from Brazil, embodied a diverse range of creative disciplines, including painting, photography, furniture design, and pla...Category
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Chairs
MaterialsCane, Rosewood
- Set of Four Rosewood Chairs Model 4015 by Geraldo de Barros, Unilabor, 1960By Geraldo de BarrosLocated in New York, NYThis chair designed by Geraldo de Barros has a light structure in solid rosewood, a characteristic of Unilabor's production, which used fine shapes in its designs for better use of i...Category
Vintage 1960s South American Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Rosewood