After WWII, in 1948, Sam Maloof moved to Ontario, California and began building furniture for his home in his garage workshop using reclaimed wood. That was the beginning of his furniture business. Maloof went on to become nationally and internationally famous for his innovative furniture, especially his rocking chair. His furniture features flowing sculptural organic lines, visible mortise and tenon joints, carved features and clear finishes. The Smithsonian refers to him as “America's most renowned contemporary furniture craftsman.” In 1985 Maloof was the first Craftsman to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (“Genius Grant”).
In the 1980s, Hal Taylor reworked the manufacturing process for Maloof’s chair to incorporate readily available tools and router bits instead of the custom made tools and bits Maloof used. The rethinking of the manufacturing process made the Maloof style chair accessible to the home Craftsman. Taylor also simplified and reimagined some of the design features including adding flexible back supports to increase the chair’s comfort. Taylor has since made nearly 500 of these chairs himself and has passed on the knowledge and designs to more than a 1000 students.
It is this, the Hal Taylor version, which Dan Seachord will feature in his presentation. While Dan is not a master of making these rocking chairs, having finished his second chair, he does have some insight into the process and design.
The presentation will focus on several key features which define the Maloof-style chair and how those features are built and shaped. Test cuts, samples, jigs and photos will help explain the process.
