Furniture as Sculpture: A Craftsman's Legacy.

The Pennsylvania carver and sculptor Wharton Esherick, known for his mid-20th-century undulating furniture, did not start out in woodworking. Instead he spent decades painting Cubist and Impressionist landscapes and portraits and designing prints, posters and theater sets. Not until his 40s, around 1930, did he adapt his faceted drawing style and skewed perspectives to chairs, desks, tables and bookcases. He modeled the legs after crisscrossed bones, cantilevered the tops and concealed drawers in tight curves. Once the furniture became famous, he rarely exhibited his works on paper and sometimes just burned them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]