Paul Evans mixed metal patchwork console table with smoked glass. Iconic design of patchwork mixed metals with a smoked glass inserted table top. Designed for Directional in the late 1960s by Evans this Brutalist masterpiece involved a lot of hand work and is really an artisan piece. It consists of hand nailed and brushed panels of copper, brass and pewter. It comes with a thick smoked glass insert.

Mid Century Brutalist Patchwork Console Table by Paul Evans.

Paul Evans (1931-1987) was an influential American furniture designer, sculptor, and artist, recognized for his unique contributions to the American Craft Movement of the 1970s and his association with the renowned manufacturer Directional Furniture. His Brutalist-inspired, sculpted metal furnishings set him apart in the world of design.

Paul R. Evans II was born on May 20, 1931, in Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He pursued his education at several institutions, including the Philadelphia Textile Institute (1950), Rochester Institute of Technology's School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, New York (1950), and Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan (1952).

After settling in New Hope, Pennsylvania, Evans collaborated with woodworker Phillip Lloyd Powell. Despite financial constraints, they sourced wood from the reject pile of their neighbor, George Nakashima, a renowned woodworker and furniture designer.

In the 1950s, Evans began creating copper chests, later transitioning to sculpted steel-front cabinets. His significant breakthrough came in 1961 with a two-man show at America House, an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York, now the Museum of Arts & Design. In 1964, Evans became a featured designer for Directional Furniture, introducing several innovative furniture lines, such as the Argente series, Sculpted Bronze series, Sculptured and Painted Steel, Patchwork Copper, Pewter and Brass, and the popular Cityscape series. The New York Times noted that Evans "understood fashion, embraced youth culture, and built custom pieces for many celebrities."

Evans work reflects his commitment to craftsmanship and technology. His relationship with Directional Furniture established a unique standard for creative manufacturing, ensuring every piece was handmade, finished by hand, and supervised by Evans himself at each production step. Evans' combination of handcrafted artistry and innovative design techniques continues to influence modern furniture design, making his work a celebrated part of American art history.

This table was part of Evans' Sculptured Metal series, and unfortunately these examples are not signed (none of them).

The Cityscape series all were "signed" with nameplates, but the only true signed pieces were his studio metal series and his sculptured bronze pieces, like the sofa we currently have (see attached recommendation).

Pieces created during his time as a student at the Cranbrook Academy of Art or early in his career in New Hope might have had only a paper label (which can be lost over time) or a molded signature on the base of a sculpture, but not a clear, lasting inscription.

Evans often created prototypes and experimental pieces in his New Hope studio, which also may not have been consistently signed in the same manner as production models.

DIMENSIONS

28 in. H x 60 in. W x 20 in. D

71 cm H x 152 cm W x 51 cm D

WEAR;: Wear consistent with age and use