Charlotte Perriand with Le Corbusier und Pierre Jeanneret

Perhaps best known for her numerous co-operations with Le Corbusier, the Parisian architect and designer Charlotte Perriand played an instrumental role in developing the European modern movement: Not least as Charlotte Perriand is credited with converting Le Corbusiers modern furniture ideas into reality and so establishing the tradition of minimal, bent chrome steel tube and leather furniture.

Among the most famous of these collaborations are the from Cassina produced LC4 Chaise Longue, LC2 Armchair and LC7 Swivel Chair which Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand originally created for their “Maison la Roche” in Paris.

Charlotte Perriand with Le Corbusier was however only one chapter in a life and career that also involved collaborations with Fernand Leger and Jean Prouvé and stations in Moscow, Japan, Vietnam and Brasil.

LC4 by Charlotte Perriand Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret through Cassina

And it is her time in Brasil that is the subject of an exhibition at the Gewerbemuseum in Winterthur which opens on July 4th.

“Charlotte Perriand und ihre Spuren in Brasilien” is essentially devoted to a flat she designed and built in Rio de Janeiro during the early 1960s. The exhibition curators have rebuilt the flat and its interior in 1:2 scale in Winterthur and use it to explore Charlotte Perriand’s approach to her work and the design philosophies that guided her.

On July 16th the Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich opens its exhibition “Charlotte Perriand: Designer, Photographer, Activist”. With an extensive accompanying programme the Zürich exhibition focuses less on Charlotte Perriand’s architecture and more on her furniture design, photography and her social commitment and activism.

Together the two exhibitions offer a rare chance to learn more about the life and work of one of the few women who could establish themselves in the male dominated, and heavily patriarchal society that was inter-war France.  Women in France didn’t get the vote until 1944 - by which point Charlotte Perriand, as well as the Paris based Eileen Gray, had already not only established themselves but also helped define the modern movement.

Charlotte Perriand und ihre Spuren in Brasilien runs at the Gewerbemuseum Winterthur from July 4th until August 22nd.

Charlotte Perriand Designer, Photographer, Activist runs at the Museum für Gestaltung, Zürich from July 16th until 24th October.

And the two museums are only 25 kms apart. So a nice days walk during a Swiss holiday.

On 03.11.1989 the Vitra Design Museum opened.

On 09.11.1989 the Berlin Wall “fell”.

Coincidence?

Almost certainly.
But while the Vitra Design Museum may not be able to claim responsibility for the end of the DDR, it can look back on a remarkable 20 year history and proudly profess to have helped popularise designer furniture and furniture designers.

Initially established as a location where Vitra chairman Rolf Fehlbaum could display his extensive collection of contemporary designer furniture artifacts, the role of the museum quickly expanded.

Vitra Design Museum (with advertising for the current exhibition: ANTIBODIES The Works of Fernando & Humberto Campana 1989 - 2009)

An initial exhibition on the work of Ron Arad laid the foundations for further shows either looking at the work of individual designers such as Isamu Noguchi, Frank Lloyd Wright or Joe Colombo or more general, themed, shows exploring subjects such as childrens furniture or aeronautical design. The increasing popularity of the Vitra Design Museum exhibitions is reflected in the visitor numbers; where 23,000 visitors were recorded in 1989, some 86,000 came in 2008.

And not just visitors to Weil am Rhein have profited; a range of travelling exhibitions have enthralled over 350,000 visitors world-wide.

Over the two decades the Vitra Design Museum site has also evolved from the original Frank Gehry building to become a veritable Campus, including production halls and conference facilities. And just as the furniture originates from some of the greatest designers so have the likes of Jasper Morrison, Jean Prouvé and Tadao Ando contributed to the architecture.

The Eames Elephant enclosure at the Vitra Design Museum

An important source of funding for the Vitra Design Museum is it’s range of re-edition and miniature products. In addition to the 1:6 miniatures of classic designer chairs, the Vitra Design Museum collection includes articles varying from Alexander Girard’s wooden dolls over Eames Elephants and on to “new” products such as the Classic Trays or the George Nelson ceramic clocks.

On Sunday November the 8th Vitra invite all to an Open Day in Weil am Rhein to celebrate the Design Museum’s 20th birthday. In addition to guided tours through the exhibition, collection and buildings you will have the opportunity to decorate your own Eames Elephant.

We can thoroughly recommend the trip!

Project Vitra (Birkhauser)

The snow is back in Leipzig and so whereas the weekend was spent enjoying the warm spring air - the evenings are now being spent enjoying the warm living room and a good book.

And so it’s just as well we were recently at Leipzig book fair.
Among the seemingly endless piles of new historical novels, travel guides - each, naturally, with the best insider tips -  and Harry Potter wannabes there was also a few title that appealed to us.

“Project Vitra” from Rolf Fehlbaum und Cornel Windlin for Birkhauser is not only an interesting stroll through the history of Vitra - without question one of the world’s most important and creative designer furniture houses - but is also a design classic in it’s own right.

It was shortlisted in the graphics category for the Brit Insurance Design of the Year Award 2009, and won a bronze medal in the “Best Book Design from all over the World 2009″ organised by the German foundation “Stiftung Buchkunst“. The prizes were awarded at a ceremony in Leipzig during the book fair.

Charles and Ray Eames with Willi and Erika Fehlbaum

The “Project Vitra” story began in 1957 in Basel and Weil am Rhein and can more or less be summarised as: Willi and Erika Fehlbaum meet Charles and Ray Eames and start making furniture.

And they haven’t really stopped.

In the intervening 50+ years Vitra have worked with designers as varied and individual as Jean Prouvé, Jasper Morrison, Antonio Citterio and Verner Panton. To name just five.

“Project Vitra” chronicles the decades and the creations and in doing so elucidates not only the Vitra story but also the philosophy which has guided Vitra since its establishment.

Writing in the Vitra Magazine in January, Rolf Fehlbaum - company Chef and son of  grounders Willi and Erika - explained part of this philosophy; namely, the importance of the “individual authorship” of articles and the importance of the relationship between designer as “author” and Vitra:

“Vitra works with independent “authors” – primarily with designers, but also with architects and graphic artists. What distinguishes the work of these people from that of other designers is the fact that their personal imprint and outlook is reflected in every one of their products.

In contrast, designers in fixed employment must adapt their personal interpretation to the requirements of the client. We do not define our roles in terms of client and contractor. Two business partners – the designer and Vitra – embark on a common quest for an optimal solution. Vitra’s task is to provide a stimulating environment, technical support, conceptual input and constructive criticism.”

Panton Chair Classic (Verner Panton) for Vitra

A classic example of this process is the Panton Chair by Verner Panton which went through numerous design and prototype phases - all the result of the cooperation between Vitra and Panton - before the final, and widely copied, design was completed.

In “Project Vitra” the importance of this relationship and the eternal conflict between creative drive and commercial survival is wonderfully , and aesthetically, documented.

“Project Vitra” is not a book for cover-to-cover reading, and at 800 pages we wouldn’t recommend it - it is however a wonderful reference book for all who enjoy quality designer furniture, want to learn more about how design classics are created or who simply enjoy good photography.

Or for those who are looking to escape the late march Leipzig snow with a glass of Tempranillo and an exquisitely laid-out and designed book.

smow don’t stock “Project Vitra” but it can be ordered direct from the Birkhauser. (more…)

The (smow) blog has more than once suggested that designer furniture is more than just a comfortable place to sit of an evening or a convenient ledge on which to place your coffee while reading the paper; and that a well constructed piece of quality designer furniture can be a real investment.

Proof of this theory, if it were needed, can currently be found at the TEFAF Maastricht - one of the world largest and most important art and antique fairs.

For the first time in its 34 year history the Dutch trade fair is officially including 20th century design, and for all designer furniture in its programme.

Frans Leidelmeijer at TEFAF 2006. Booth designed by Ron Arad (http://www.leidelmeijer.nl/)

We use the word “officially” because in dealers such as the Amsterdam based Frans Leidelmeijer have been sneaking modern designer furniture pieces into for a couple of years now. In 2006 Leidelmeijer displayed exhibits in a wooden booth designed by Ron Arad.

In addition to Frans Leidelmeijer a range of dealers from Holland, Belgium, France and the UK will be offering furniture and art works from designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, Le Corbusier, Jean Prouve and Isamu Noguchi, to name just a few.

Although auction sales of classic design furniture regularly occur, the inclusion of modern designers in a trade fair that traditionally concentrates on the more conservative and “stuffy” world of antiques and tribal art is an important event as it indicates the importance of the designer furniture market and the standing of designers such as Verner Panton, Joe Colombo or Eero Saarinen

Eames ETR Table by Vitra

Those of you in or near Maastricht -or indeed Holland or Belgium - between the 13 and 22nd of March and who have the opportunity should visit the TEFAF and not only marvel at the designs and creativity of the last century, but also chat with the exhibitors as regards originals and copies and whether a 1950s ETR Table by Charles and Ray Eames is more “genuine” than one from 2009 - there is enough reference material here in the (smow)blog.

And for those planning making investments for the future, smow stocks ever more designs from the 21st century, and who knows maybe in 30 years someone will display furniture from Boge and Frey in a landed by Eric Degenhardt.