Los Angeles Modern Auctions (LAMA)

Dan Johnson developed his prototypes for the Gazelle series during and immediately after completing a design commission in Rome. He is believed to have been inspired by Roman frescoes and murals, whose influence can be seen in the attenuated and graceful lines of the Gazelle chair. He hired Italian craftsmen to produce walnut, bronze, and aluminum versions of the chairs using traditional, ancient weaving and casting techniques. The line was not commercially successful and only about 150 pieces were made; the remaining examples are reminders of Johnson’s exceptional eye for design and his ability to deftly merge modern and classical sources, à la earlier contemporaries such as T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings.