A World of Vernacular Furniture: The Windsor Chair
In all corners of the globe one finds objects of furniture which developed in response to local conditions, traditions and practices; vernacular objects without a formal author and which although, on account of?, arising from a very specific place and time can, invariably, both teach us a lot about the essentials of furniture and help explain furniture’s relationships with wider realities.
And objects we want to celebrate, starting with arguably, one of the best known examples of vernacular furniture: the Windsor chair.
Paris Design Week 2018 Compact: ArNO by Bright Potato
The metal wire chair is such a well established seating genre it is hard to imagine it is possible to do anything new with it. Far less anything exciting.
However……
IMM Cologne 2018 Compact: 118 by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet
It’s probably fair to say that no object at IMM Cologne 2018 confused us quite as much as the new 118 chair by Sebastian Herkner for Thonet.
Not in bad way. Just in a confused way.
We know, we know, what sort of being gets confused by chairs.
Us. Regularly. It’s why our lives’ are such a mess.
Radio smow: A Chairs Playlist
As we’ve oft noted in these pages, not only have designers since time immemorial had a particular fascination for chairs, but society a particular predilection.
Arguably the two are related and can be traced to the long, universal, cultural, political and social relevance of the chair and the act of sitting, a state of affairs which not only makes the physical chair/seat an integral part of our lives, but the metaphorical: excitement brings us to edge of our chairs, those who are brave/foolish enough place themself in the hot seat, while we either sit in judgement or on the fence depending on what prudence and prejudice advise.
And so following on from our Cupboards, Closets, Wardrobes Playlist, a Radio smow Chairs Playlist, starting with five songs which discuss the action, symbolism and relevance of chairs/sitting in various contexts. Considerations on which can keep us occupied for hours.
No, honest…..
The Sedentary Workers: Orchestra Musicians
Although the evidence is not, yet, conclusive, recent years have seen an increasing confidence in the theory that sitting for too long can have a negative impact on health, and that all whose job involves prolonged sitting should regularly stand, move and generally change their body position.
But what about those workers who can’t? What about those workers whose job is defined by long periods of sitting?
Ambiente Frankfurt 2017 Compact: Bouillon
Amongst all the fake flavours at Ambiente Frankfurt 2017 the Umami of Japanese design studio Bouillon was a genuine delight.
Bora Hong – Cosmetic Surgery Kingdom @ VOLUME Gallery Berlin
For the 13th century Dominican friar Thomas Aquinas beauty required a perfect combination of integritas, consonantia & claritas – integrity,
Blurred Lines or What if Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke designed furniture?
On March 10th 2015 a jury at the Central District Court of California in Los Angeles concluded that Pharrell Williams
Milan Design Week 2015: On Seating…..
For us one of the few genuine joys of Milan Design Week is observing visitors to the furniture fair perching
smow blog compact: Van stoelen bezeten at Gorcums Museum
As many of you will be aware, back in November we struggled to find five design exhibitions opening in December
Sitting – Lying – Swinging. Furniture from Thonet at the Grassi Museum for Applied Arts, Leipzig
Standing in the Leipzig Grassi Museum for Applied Arts, surrounded by 150 years of Thonet chair history, Peter Thonet, x-times-great