mid-century modern repair – DesignApplause

Modern design. Wright auction.

Oct 15, 2012

cabinet from the hotel parco dei principi rome | bio ponti | 1964 | click > enlarge

Wright’s [ Modern Design ] auction features an incomparable selection of works by the best known designers of the 20th century. Exceptional pieces from modern greats such as Harry Bertoia, Walter Lamb, George Nelson & Associates, Jean Prouvé and Carlo Scarpa figure prominently in the auction, as do a significant number of pieces by Pierre Jeanneret. Jeanneret’s Kangourou lounge chair and two pairs of Senat armchairs are expected to be popular among bidders. Several pieces designed by George Nakashima including important Minguren I and II coffee tables, a set of four Conoid chairs and a Conoid dining table also rank among the highlights of the auction. [ modern design 18 october 2012 noon cst ]

marshmallow sofa | george nelson & associates | 1956

Highly anticipated among the lots is a collection of furniture designed by the architect Frank Gehry from his Easy Edges (1969 – 73) and Experimental Edges (1979 – 82) series. In the tradition of modern masters such as Charles and Ray Eames, Gehry elevates a humble material, cardboard, to build masterworks of design. Gehry is direct and honest in his engagement with the material; unpainted and unvarnished, Gehry takes full advantage of the warmth of the cardboard’s tone and the honeycombed texture to create beautiful, functional forms from an unconventional material. The earlier Easy Edges pieces are distinctively sculptural with sharp, clean profiles. These designs later evolved into the Experimental Edges line, for which Gehry uses multiple layers of cardboard to create pieces of furniture that appear solid and visually dense with soft edges. Designed and manufactured early in his career, these exceptional furniture forms are harbingers of the radical innovation to come from Gehry’s studio.

important early teapot | harry bertoia | 1942

prototype radio enclosure | charles eames | 1946

desk | greta magnusson grossman | 1952

Other noteworthy decorative objects include a remarkable teapot by Harry Bertoia, a Gorham Silver Company cocktail shaker of artillery shell and a major Circa 70s coffee service by Donald Colflesh. A selection of Italian glass by Scarpa, Venini, Gambone, Buzzi and Fratelli Toso also join the ranks of remarkable modern decorative objects.

This auction features approximately 250 lots of exceptional modern design. Each item is featured in Wright’s award-winning, full-color catalog as well as presented [ online ] Gallery preview runs from 11 > 17 October, 10a > 5p, Monday > Saturday and Sunday by appointment. [ Wright ] is located at 1440 West Hubbard Street, Chicago, IL 60642.

[ Wright ] is the premier auction house specializing in modern design. Since 2000, we have sold over 30,000 lots across the spectrum of 20th and 21st century design. We have pioneered whole fields of collecting and transformed the market for modern design.

[ modern design 18 october 2012 noon cst ]

Class act. Thank you herman miller

Oct 26, 2011

charles and ray eames | dcm | herman miller 1946/1970 | photos courtesy of wright

Apple products combined cutting-edge design with cutting-edge technology. American ate it up. You don’t always (or usually) get such class acts in the consumer marketplace.

But I want to underscore another class act in American functional design: Herman Miller. I have an Eames chair (the one with the metal frame and wood back and seat) that my father-in-law used in the office of the building supplies business he built after he and and his wife fled Germany in 1938. Many of their possessions reflected the mid-Century modernist taste.

Unfortunately and non-intentionally a relative somehow broke the back off the chair shortly after my husband died. I wanted it fixed appropriately. Someone advised me to take it to an art gallery that specialized in mid-century modernism. But I just called Herman Miller and asked if they could fix it.

Well, you would have thought I was the First Lady by the way I was treated. As promised, shortly after the call I received two emails with my case number, a sample UPS label and a personal note from the woman with whom I originally spoke who had an expertise on whatever product anyone wished to return.

It turns out that Herman Miller simply needed to remove the broken molding on chair’s back, send it back and I could reattach it using a standard screwdriver. My contact advised me it would be a 3-4 week turn-around. Instead, I received the rebuilt back piece within a week of sending it.

It’s difficult to describe the feeling I had: the confidence that Herman Miller was actually taking care of me and my priceless family heirloom. My in-laws, carried the Bauhaus sensibility with them when they sought refuge in America.

This is not a story of bravery, heroism, moral enlightenment or anything like that. It is simply a statement of appreciation for a level of care and professionalism that all too often is missing in America today. My chair, whole again, represents a heritage I want to pass on.

specifications:
designer: charles and ray eames
producer: herman miller
object: dcm 1946/1970 | ash, chrome-plated steel, rubber, plastic | 19.25 w x 22 d x 29.5 h inches

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