what would you do?  

mary ann scott
This is the stupidest Idea ever!
Doing a cheesy reproduction of a classic masterpiece such as this is the most idiotic thing I've ever heard.Firstly; it would most likely hurt the value of these classics ,and if you can't obtain an original too bad.
I have the original under my finger tips sweetie.... I am talking about Cloning it for the rest of the world to have and adore and share with me, I feel like Doctor Evil !!! hahahahahaha

Dear LRF....
I am with Olive. FLW was a great architect and no building has moved me as much as Falling water, yet this is an ugly piece of furniture. I am glad you showed it, it proves that FLW was human and could make serious mistakes. History has more or less forgotten this one and I think history did a fine job. No matter what the financial prospects are, I would take the zen island any time....

I think its a flight of...
I think its a flight of fantasy, quite whmisical and neither ugly or beautiful just very striking.
But for 20k perahps you could buy some other FLW originals, I think he made some mica shaded lamps, they were lovely and whilst detailed none of the joinery in his work looks complex or expensive, I don't think you'd have trouble finding a manufacturer.
Have you seen the Macintosh chairs that Cassina do?

thanks Koen I appreciate ...
thanks Koen I appreciate your opinion
I think the chair is unique the contruction is rather crumy on this originial as there are poor casting marks all over it it was made by a casting company named Blue Stem Foundry in
Painted aluminum, this foundry is out of business, this chair has a good paper trail so i know it is one of the originals
As far as re making the chair this has been good advise from all and I for one really appreciate it as all who stated a valid opinion . i feel are intelligent folks and i can consider this a focus group for this chair, the biggest thing that scares me, is just cause I like something does not necessarily mean that someone else will, and when you are thinking of spending a hnudred thousand dollars to try to reproduce something. that this core group says just is not that great means a lot ,
I thank you all and love hearing from all. no answer is a dumb one they all have merit,

HP
I was told to give Cassina a call that they might be interested in producing this chair, as they do things like this but after the focus group , I have to go back to the drawing board . and that would be on my George Nelson drawing board , to see if this is some avenue that I want to explore. or do i want to finish the rest of my home before 2010.......

Metropolis
It looks like a set piece from Fritz Lang's Metropolis

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_%28film%29

Finish your home.
I would think that if it wasn't popular the first time, it won't be a second time. I just don't want you to be disappointed with your venture. You are such an avid collector. Not many people share the same fever and have the capital to do something about simultaneously. tremely popular item. Quite different.

Wow
I really botched up that post! Damn cold medicine must have my head swimming!

BUY IT
for 18.000 put it in your office for a few years and take depreciation on office furnishings the law allows.I know a few people in Bartlesville, the tower is quite nice but this chair is an aquired taste at best...Olive and Koen are right...

what i would do - on 2nd thought
I have always wondered how to spice up the Burning Man festival experience. You could start a counterpoint to the beautiful purchasable stuff at Design Miami and create a Burning Man side event, "Design Nevada - Below Sea Level". All the bad and regretable design one may have coveted at some point in time, can be sold there. The desert is a proper backdrop for eyepoppingly erroneous furniture. Naked people will transact for huge and absurd sums. Once all is sold, both the cash and ugly design are burnt to a crisp. A little Absinthe to wash it down and this could be the next IT event in the evolution of design marketing. Warhols could burn. Newson could melt into the sand like a hadid slithering toward a shady spot. LRF, put your money to good use. Create a toxic dump of crappy design within the flames of the Man - I think the market is ready for it.
Don't re-produce, de-produce.
I mentioned this thread to a friend of mine and she suggested that you might solve your current problem (which is daunting) by perhaps forgetting that chair purchase altogether and offering your xtra 20 grand to the campaign of a Democratic presidential candidate or even savedarfur.org. Yeah, I laughed also at that logic.

Buy the chair and donate it...
Buy the chair and donate it an African dictator, Mugabe would love it.
The idea of destroying everything designed in the 90's does have some appeal, perahps you could just set Karim Rashid on fire instead?

and Todd Oldham while you're...
and Todd Oldham while you're at it.

hp and white sike
I agree with you those two guys have to go!!! Todd o stuff is no class stuff and the other do with the funky glasses he has to go, even for Target they are bad