Galán

Design: Jorge Gomendio Kindelan. Madrid.
www.gomendiokindelan.com
idesign@gomendiokindelan.com 

Manufacturer: Hubert Feldkircher. Schwarzach. Austria
www.hubert-feldkircher.at
info@hubert-feldkircher.at 

Manufacture date: September 2013
Materials: Structure made from solid American black walnut wood. Tray and trouser rod lined with lambskin from Central Europe. Base mounted on a brushed stainless steel plate.
Dimensions: Height: 1.85 m (72 7/8 in.) Width: 0.44m (3/16 in.) Depth: 0,62m (1/4 in.) Weight: 10 kg (22 lb.)

Description

“A voice comes to one in the dark. Imagine” Samuel Beckett, Company, 1979

“My first sketches of Galán, back in 1993, were dominated by a strong, central spine-like trace. It was a support, a human column that could hold a jacket and a pair of trousers. My mind then fought with the position of the garments. Once I achieved a balance, I put the sketches away, but my mind didn’t.

In 2004 I made a small model. In that model the original tension of the spine-like trace was still present. After that I drew a human-sized version of Galán based on my proportions. But it was lifeless. I realized then that for Galán to transmit a sense of vitality, I had to imbue it with the experience and weariness of life I had gained since I drew my first sketches. I then reworked the curve of the head, its back, and strengthened its neck and heel to express the stand’s resistance to its own weight; to life. Galán is a valet stand and as such, it will probably form part of the intimate realm of the bedroom. That is why it is respectful in its gesture, with its downward gaze, not wanting to intrude. It is just there, as company.

I then searched for the best materials and the finest furniture manufacturers to breathe life into my creation. This quest took me to the small Austrian town of Schwarzach, where local master carpenters have been working for generations with solid woods from the Alps. After various prototypes, Galán came to life in September 2013.

 I have found it fascinating to arrive at the point where a form that had never existed before is perfect to my eye. Galán is alive because it has a tension of its own, because it has an identity of its own. Standing still, it is in movement. Doing nothing, it does.

Today, after twenty years, I believe that the traces I drew in 1993 were, even then, profoundly human.”

Jorge Gomendio Kindelan

Materials, Use and Manufacturing Process

Galán has been conceived to be enjoyed, it is a ‘sculpture with a use’. It can hold a jacket and a pair of trousers or a skirt. Its is made of natural and warm materials, wood for the structure and lambskin to soften the parts that come into contact with the user’s hands. Its hands serve to hold an accessories tray. This tray has a small rim, the height of a coin, to prevent spare change, pocket items and small objects from falling to the floor. The head piece incorporates a mirror that allows users to check their tie or earrings. This mirror can be adjusted to the user’s height.

The stand is hand crafted from solid American black walnut wood protected with natural oil. The base is made from walnut wood pieces especially selected to ensure that the wood grain is centered at the point where the base joins the central column. The tray and the trouser or skirt rod are lined with natural, undyed Central European lambskin as it is foreseen that the entire stand will acquire a warm patina with age. Both pieces can be detached from below and from the sides in case they need to be repaired or substituted. The designer’s name and manufacturer’s stamp are engraved on the wood under the tray. The base incorporates a stainless steel plate that protects the wood from water and other products used to clean the floor. Underneath it, a thin rubber layer prevents the steel from scratching marble or wooden floors.

Galán can be taken apart with the help of two small hex keys. Its 5 constituent parts can then be fastened securely to a specially fitted-out wooden case measuring 160 cm (63 in.) x 52 cm (20 ½ in.) x 16 cm (6 ¼ in.) designed to occupy the minimum possible space to reduce the ecological impact of travel.