Chris Ferebee

“2001 Design Review,” The International Design Magazine, August 2001, p. 132
Doug Ngo and Eric Pfeiffer, Bent Ply:  The Art of Plywood Furniture, New York, 2003, p. 151
William Weathersby, Jr., “Architect-Designed Furniture,” Architectural Record, March 2003, p. 214
Marcel Wanders, ed., International Design Yearbook, 2005, p. 295

Overall in excellent condition. The work comprising three stacking elements. Only one element with removable aluminum feet. The feet allow for height adjustment in order to level an uneven floor. The two additional items simply stack on top with no hardware required. The surface with only very minor surface scratches. The bottom element with metal tag, signature and numbered.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Chris Ferebee has taken a conceptualized approach to functional forms in furniture design.  When the three “Hive” modular units are stacked, they achieve a complexity derived from its minimal aesthetic.  The result is a work with naturalistic intricacy and purity of fluid form without challenge by decoration.

Designed in 1999, the innovative modular “Hive” shelving unit was recognized with a Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design in 2000 and received a Design Distinction Award from International Design Magazine in 2001.  This protoype was made in a flawed attempt to mass-produce the "Hive," which did not meet the artist's requirements, and therefore only ten examples of this form were executed.  Later editions, entitled “Hive.H2,” are produced by Gubi International.