Extremely rare and important cast bronze “Me Too” coffee table, female figural sculpture with multicolor hand painted enamels with biomorphic glass top, by Philip and Kelvin LaVerne, American 1970's (Signed “Philip+Kelvin LaVerne” on supporting element). According to Kelvin LaVerne, this was an edition of 2. It is unique and complex with exquisitely detailed elements. New glass table top newly fabricated to the specs of the original. It was named Me Too because there were two models in the artists’ studio and one was getting most of the attention. So the other insisted on posing for this table. This table was named in the 1970’s so it has absolutely nothing to do with the Me Too Movement of this era. However, there is a random connection to the movement: the model for this table had been complaining that in a previous modeling session with a different artist, a man had touched her and made her feel uncomfortable. This table is beautiful in how the woman is sculpted and cast. The hand reaching up through the glass is hers; the hand on her hip is not her own: it’s a man’s hand. And it is meant to portray her story of posing nude and the feeling of disquiet. The glass top works beautifully in this regard because it makes all of us onlookers to the moment, like voyeurs looking through a window.
Reference:
ALCHEMY: THE ART OF PHILIP AND KELVIN LAVERNE written by Evan Lobel with Kelvin LaVerne, published by Pointed Leaf Press in 2024, this work is discussed in the introduction and is shown on page 158 in the section titled THE CAST SERIES. The caption reads, “The 1970s ME TOO cast bronze sculpture has subtly hand-painted enamels and a thick glass top.”
Provenance:
From the Collection of Kelvin LaVerne
W: 55.5 inches
D: 36 inches
H: 15.5 inches
Condition: Excellent
$75,000
ref: coffeetable529
