Haven't I seen you somewhere?
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, November 28, 2024


Haven't I seen you somewhere?
The Revolt chair, designed by Friso Kramer for Ahrend in 1953, and relaunched by HAY. Via The New York Times.

by Arlene Hirst



NEW YORK, NY.- For the past several years, design companies have exploited an awakened interest in modernism’s storied past, combing the vast archives of 20th-century furnishings to find forgotten gems that they believe deserve a new audience (not to mention new sales).

This revival movement had been gaining steam for some time. It took off in a significant way in 1964 when Cassina, an Italian furniture manufacturer, began reproducing designs by Le Corbusier Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand in its I Maestri collection. Fifty-seven years later, the company is still unearthing treasures.

“Our mission is to discover great ideas from the past,” said Luca Fuso, Cassina’s chief executive, adding, “It’s a chance to bring to life a brilliant project even if we don’t make money on it.’’ He cited the company’s recent reissue of a radio designed by Franco Albini in 1940, though Cassina lacked the expertise and market for electronics.

Manufacturers aren’t alone in diving into the past. The families of deceased designers have also been looking backward, hoping to find something among old records to interest potential collaborators. At other times, the popularity of an item on social media creates the impetus for revival, reconstituting masterpieces out of thin ether.

Florian table by Vico Magistretti

The Italian Vico Magistretti designed Florian, a lightweight table, in 1989. Reintroduced by its original manufacturer, Acerbis, as part of the company’s Remasters collection, the piece is made of ash with a brass mechanism and folds up into a graphic composition that hangs on the wall. “To enhance the brand and heritage of the 151-year-old company, it seemed only right to start with the classics’ creative legacy,” said Marco Cassina, marketing director of Acerbis’ parent company, MDF Italia; $1,515. ddcnyc.com

Cathedral table by Pierre Paulin

Thanks to the efforts of his family, the work of Pierre Paulin, the prolific Frenchman whose designs helped revolutionize furniture production, has been widely reissued by many companies. Paulin considered the Cathedral table from 1981 his masterpiece, but it was never manufactured, existing only as a prototype. Now, the aluminum-and-glass design is finally being made available in a limited edition of 72. The table with a single pedestal is $75,600; with a double pedestal, $102,960. ralphpucci.com

Oktett glassware

The staff at New York's Museum of Modern Art’s design store frequently pores over old catalogs to find products worthy of revival. This year they sought something cheerful to inspire shoppers in the worst days of the pandemic and landed on Oktett wineglasses produced by Bodum, a Danish housewares company. The glasses, which were designed in-house in 1983, have colorful bases made of recycled plastic rather than the original polypropylene. A set of two is $22. store.moma.org




D.847.1 writing desk by Gio Ponti

Molteni has been reissuing the work of Gio Ponti, a towering figure of midcentury design, since 2012. This year the Italian company revived a desk that Ponti conceived in 1947, working with an aircraft manufacturer to convert some of the company’s World War II-era efforts into “peace” production. The D.847.1 desk, whose curved sides evoke an airplane’s wings, is solid ash, with brass fittings; $7,324. molteni.it

Parigi chair by Aldo Rossi

Aldo Rossi, the Pritzker Prize-winning Italian architect, also excelled at product design, and he created an impressive body of work for UniFor, an office furniture company. This year, in a celebratory burst, the manufacturer reissued four of his designs including the Parigi chair, created in 1989 with the intent of bridging the gap between office and home. The chair’s black-painted aluminum frame encloses a jaunty red polyester foam seat and back; its profile is a gentle nod to aerodynamic designs of the 1930s; $8,540.50. unifor.it/en

Plico chair by Fabricius and Kastholm

About 10-15% of Carl Hansen & Son’s products are reissues. “We want to preserve the golden age of Danish design — from 1930 to 1980,” said Knud Erik Hansen, the chief executive of the 113-year-old company based in Denmark. The latest, the Plico chair (the name derives from a root of the Latin verb “to fold”) came not from its archives but from the family of Jorgen Kastholm, who designed the 1964 folding chair with Preben Fabricius. The oak frame, which is dressed in canvas and linen, has an adjustable backrest. Available with a low back for $2,420 or a high one for $2,730. carlhansen.com

Bodil Kjaer Serving Cart

Cassina ventured beyond its Italian borders to produce three midcentury works by Danish architect Bodil Kjaer, including this solid wood, steel and laminate serving cart. Kjaer designed the piece in 1963 for her own apartment because she disliked missing out on dining table conversation while serving dinner from her too-distant kitchen. The architect, who is 89, worked with Cassina on its reintroduction; $4,145. cassina.com

Revolt chair by Friso Kramer

“I consider Kramer’s designs, and the Revolt chair in particular, to be the most important chairs in the history of contemporary European design,” said Rolf Hay, co-founder of the Danish furnishings company that bears his name. Although Ahrend, the Dutch firm that originally manufactured the chair in 1953, had revived it in 2004, Hay recently returned the piece to its original dimensions and began using recycled plastics in its production; $345. hay.com

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

October 30, 2021

Looted treasures begin a long journey home From France

Mexico asks France to cancel pre-Columbian art sales

Christie's to offer Beeple's first-ever dynamic physical artwork + video NFT

Lakeside Collection entrusted to the care of Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen

Christie's to offer El Greco early masterpiece restituted to the heirs to the Julius & Camilla Priester Collection

Bidding wars over works by Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier at Freeman's sale

Hindman Auctions announces highlights included in the Western and Contemporary Native American Art Auction

Outstanding works from Bergamo offered at Dorotheum's Old Master Paintings sale

Kandis Williams envisions dancing bodies without borders

Christie's to offer the Collection of Victoria, Lady de Rothschild

After time of 'real terror,' city's resilience is symbolized in statue

Bertoia's Nov. 18-19 auction features magnificent European and American antique toys and holiday antiques

Filipino artist Kidlat Tahimik presents a new installation at Palacio de Cristal

Major exhibition explores the lives and art of pioneering sisters from New London at Lyman Allyn Art Museum

Crescent City Auction Gallery to offer items from the estate of the Sarkis Kaltakdjian

SUNNY NY presents new paintings, a site-specific wall painting and several works on paper by Trudy Benson

Journey to a center of the earth

In Paris, a straight road to the past

Ornament or crime? With painted woodwork, there is no middle ground

Haven't I seen you somewhere?

Solo exhibition of works by artist Gladys Nilsson opens at Hales London

Thousands mourn south Indian film star Puneeth Rajkumar

Mary Ellen Carroll's red neon artwork to illuminate the Glasgow skyline during 2021 Climate Change Conference

Large-scale artwork to transform Govan Graving Docks for COP26

Discover the Rich History Behind Alexandrite

Top 5 Reasons For Why A Good Night Message Is So Important

10 Best Painting Captions for Instagram

How To Promote Your Youtube Channel On Tiktok

What Are the Three Greatest Games of All Time?

Best Screen for streaming netflix.




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful