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Thursday, May 17, 2012

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Having a Moment: Brutalism

Brutalism, a memorable—if oddly violent-sounding—term describes a design and architecture style that incorporates raw materials, hard angular shapes, a rough appearance and visible elements of the craftsman’s hand. Derived from the French term "beton brut," meaning "raw concrete," it is an offshoot of the Modernist architectural movement.

Make MeWhile the present-day shelter magazine reader may not be familiar with the term just yet, we predict she'll be coveting the style soon enough. Evidence of the renewed interest is abundant: a Brutalist collection of the late designer Robert Isabell was auctioned at Sotheby's late last year; a show called "Butch Craft," currently in progress at the trendsetting Moss Gallery in New York, shows stylistic similarities with Brutalism (invitation pictured at left); and a Brutalist-style coffee table by Roman Thomas was recently installed at the Oval Office.

Brian Patrick Flynn, interior designer and on-air talent for TBS home makeover program "Movie & A Makeover," cited "Brutalist" as one of his favorite eBay search terms in a recent interview with The Inside Source. And on eBay, when we compared listings with the term "Brutalist" in the last 30 days with a 30 day period six months, ago, we found that listings had increased 56 percent, sales were up 70 percent and the average item price was up 8 percent.

Though the term "Brutalism" was coined in the 1950s, the style came to prominence during the '60s and '70s, most notably in works from furniture makers/sculptors like Paul Evans and Phillip Lloyd Powell, who, given the Brutalist focus on craftsmanship, handmade each piece personally. Pieces by these designers at recent auctions have sold at all-time high prices, sometimes up to six figures.

The good news for the eBay shopper is that this unique style was widely imitated, and in addition to work by these designers popping up on eBay occasionally, you can still find terrific pieces at auction with unknown or unmarked pedigrees.

Here are a few of our picks.

Roll over items for details
Brutalist Sculpture Lamp
(buy it now price,$799)
Paul Evans Brutalist Style Etagere
(buy it now price, $1,599)
Brutalist Metal Sculpture
(buy it now price, $1,950)
Brutalist-Style Wall Sconces
(starting bid, $9.95)
Paul Evans-Style Fractured Mirror
(buy it now price, $1,500)
Pair of of Brutalist Laurel Lamps
(buy it now price, $395)
Paul Evans-Style Low Credenza
(buy it now price, $2,799)
Paul Evans-Style Mirror
(buy it now price, $1,175)
Paul Evans-Style Cabinet
(buy it now price, $950)
Paul Evans Coffee Table
(buy it now price, $4,750)
Paul Evans-Style Copper Table
(buy it now price, $1,500)
Paul Evans Mixed Metal Planter
(starting bid, $250)
Bertoia-Style Welded Sculpture
(buy it now price, $995)
Having a Moment: Brutalism

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We've unearthed the most stylish stuff on eBay according to the week's hottest trends.

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