sculpture | cabinet
Material: Hot rolled steel; Belgian black marble.
Measurements: Height: 71.26' (181 cm) Width: 16.92' (43 cm) Depth: 15.74' (40 cm)
"This design came directly from a dream. I saw the image of a big black box integrated is the buffet piano that was waiting in my studio to receive a complete make-over.
So, the next morning I entered my studio and realized immediately that my dream didn’t make sense at all. It would have been too large and massive and not transportable at all.
Since I aimed in all my designs minimalism and functionality I transformed my dream into something pure and abstract.
Working with a base in Belgian Black Marble instead of the piano was very logic and obvious and the steel block in my dream should be vertical and elegant.
Of cource I noticed the similarity with Stanley Kubrick’s Monolith in the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey , and so I often tell that this was my inspiration, but now you know the real story.
To obtain the abstract effect of only 2 elements: stone and steel it was very important to conceal all construction elements like hinges and screws. The door is invisible but open with one push on the exact right spot; no visible connecting elements. I think this worked out well because most people who see the Black Monolith for the first time have absolutely no clue that it is actually apart from an sculpture also a secret cabinet.
The steel is “hot rolled” and so the texture, colours and patterns are all natural and completely unique"
Gerard Kuijpers
