Herman Miller blog: Lifework » exhibit

Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America

Amy Feezor — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 12:00:29 +0000

Michigan’s role in the development of American mid-century Modernism is something we’re very familiar with at Herman Miller (our headquarters is in Zeeland, MI, after all). And this weekend, an exhibit at the Cranbrook Academy of Art near Detroit opened to celebrate our state’s outstanding contributions to design and the people who made it happen.

Michigan Modern: Design that Shaped America, hosted by the Cranbrook Art Museum, examines the designers and architects that defined the look of the 20th century with classic pieces like the Eames Lounge Chair, the expressive styling of the fins on a Cadillac, corporate campuses like the General Motors Technical Center, and office environments revolutionized by Herman Miller.

The campus of Cranbrook is an especially appropriate setting for this important show. “In the late 1930s, a remarkable group of artists and designers were at Cranbrook — notably Eliel and Loja Saarinen, their son Eero, faculty members such as Harry Bertoia, and promising young students like Charles and Ray Eames, Ralph Rapson, Florence Knoll, and many others,” said Gregory Wittkopp, Director, Cranbrook Art Museum and Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research. “Collaboratively, and then individually, they used the Academy’s studios to experiment and create the furniture and products that became the icons of the 20th century. It is no exaggeration to say that mid-century Modernism was conceived at Cranbrook.”

For more information on the four-month exhibition — which will last through October 13 — visit cranbrookart.edu. In the meantime, get a taste of the exhibit with these photos, courtesy of Cranbrook.

Entries in the Museum of Modern Art’s 1941 “Organic Design” competition by Charles Eames and Eero Saarinen (far left).

The Eames Walnut Stool by Charles and Ray Eames, 1960 (far left).

The Nelson Marshmallow Sofa, 1956.

Photos: Courtesy Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum

Addressing the Need: The Graphic Design of the Eames Office

Amy Feezor — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:00:52 +0000

Furniture designs by Ray and Charles Eames are instantly recognizable — think Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, Eames Molded Plastic Armchair, Eames Molded Plywood Lounge Chair — but the design they crafted for films, exhibitions, toys, advertisements, brochures, and posters are the focus of a new exhibit in London, “Addressing the Need: The Graphic Design of the Eames Office.”

Spotlighting Eames-made material never exhibited before (much of it rare), this show at the PM Gallery and House takes a look at the creative process the pair — and architect and a painter — used to meet the needs of each design project they undertook. (“Recognizing the need is the primary condition for design,” Charles once said.) The exhibition runs through November 3. Per the Eames Office, plans are in the works to bring the show to Santa Monica at the end of 2013.

Get details at ealing.gov.uk. For an insightful video overview from the BBC featuring Charles and Ray’s grandson Eames Demetrios and curator Carol Swords, visit bbc.co.uk.

Image: hermanmiller.com/discover

Graphic Design—Now in Production

Amy Feezor — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 12:00:59 +0000

Since the days of George Nelson, graphic design has been a vital part of the Herman Miller culture — which is why we’re delighted that Brooklyn designer and illustrator Mike Perry‘s one-of-a-kind hand-painted Eames Molded Plastic Chair helps welcome visitors just near the entrance of Graphic Design—Now in Production, an exhibition co-organized by Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, and the Walker Art Center. Currently on display at New York City’s Governors Island, the show explores the state of graphic design today, looking at genres ranging from books, newspapers, and magazines, to branding, film and television, and posters (a topic near and dear to our hearts this summer). If you’re in the area, the show is on for one more week, and admission is free. Get details here, and in the meantime, check out a few photos from our recent visit.

Screenprints by Minneapolis-based design studio Aesthetic Apparatus

"Annual Reports" on the everyday activities of designer Nicholas Felton

Israeli designer Oded Ezer deconstructs Hebrew letterforms and the Helvetica font

"Iconic TV," a series of posters by Vienna-based designer Albert Exergian

Jeff Canham and Luke Bartels, "For the Birds," hand-painted bird house

Printed work by Ben Terret

Woodblock posters by Anthony Burrill

Field Notes, a Lifework favorite

Then X Ten Agenda: What to See in Melbourne

Amy Feezor — Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:00:18 +0000

Lucky enough to be in Melbourne, Australia, for today’s opening of Then X Ten? Here’s our guide to what to see and do in the surrounding area — famous for its food, fantastic coffee, hole-in-the wall bars, galleries, and laneways — before or after taking in the new exhibition celebrating the power of the poster at the fortyfivedownstairs gallery (45 Flinders Lane, 9662 9966, fortyfivedownstairs.com).

1. Breakfast and a Stroll in Flinders Quarter: Find your first meal of the day in the heart of Flinders Quarter, the area bordered by Flinders Lane, Swanston Street, and Elizabeth Street. Your best best? Try any one of the many cafes crammed into the narrow lanes of DeGraves Street and Centre. Afterwards, wind your way through the laneways to explore local boutiques (visit Little Collins Street for fashion shopping), bookstores, art galleries, and the Centre Place Arcade.

2. Flinders Lane Gallery: Stop by to see some of Australia’s best-known Aboriginal art. 137 Flinders Lane, 9654 3332, art.net.au

3. Nama-Nama: Refresh for lunch at this newly opened cafe serving simple Japanese fare, from house-made cake to customized bento boxes. Ground Floor, 31 Spring St, 9639 9500, namanama.com.au

4. City Basement Books: You could spend hours wandering through this recently relocated used bookstore, one of the city’s most loved. 342 Flinders St, 9620 0428, citybasementbooks.com.au

5. ACMI – the Australian Centre for Moving Image: Head to Federation Square to spend time in the cultural institution catching classics of Australian cinema or exploring a special exhibition. Federation Square, 8663 2200, acmi.net.au

6. Lily Blacks: Once early evening hits, head to this gin joint for cocktails, locally brewed ale, or wine from the nearby Yarra Valley. 12 Meyers Place, 9654 4887, lilyblacks.com.au

7. Cumulus: Grab dinner at this acclaimed foodie destination housed in a historic turn-of-the-century rag trade building (also conveniently located near the fortyfivedownstairs gallery). 45 Flinders Lane, 9650 1445, cumulusinc.com.au

8. Hihou: If you’re still going strong after a long day, check out this newcomer, a Japanese bar whose name means “secret treasure” — apropos, considering its entrance is hidden. (A hint: look for it just upstairs from Nama Nama.) First Floor, 1 Flinders Lane, hihou.com.au

Photos: acmi.net.au, cumulusinc.com.au, thethousands.com.au