Farewell Charles Pollock

Sad news from New York this morning. Charles Pollock, the legendary designer behind George Nelson Associates' Swag Leg Chairs, Knoll's Pollock and Sling Chairs, and most recently Bernhardt's CP Collection, died in a fire at his home yesterday. He was 83.

Photo above via Bernhardt Design, below Dwell.

Farewell Ruth Asawa

Ruth Asawa, a sculptor, teacher and advocate for the arts whose work brought into modern sculpture a complexity of line never ventured before, died Monday night. She was 87.

Photos above by Nat Farbman, below Imogen Cunningham. Last photo features her Ruth with her children.

Via SFGate.

Icons: The Saarinens

Eero on Eliel Saarinen's shoulders in 1912.  Eric on Eero Saarinen's shoulders in 1943.

Like father, like son.

Via Knoll:

Eero Saarinen, known for his soaring, futuristic architecture and furniture of the industrial era, is the son of Eliel Saarinen, another master architect. The two shared a birthday, not to mention a passion for building and craft. Like father, like son:

From the moment the 3-year-old boy crawled under the drafting table in the ample studio-house in Hvitträsk and started to draw, there was no doubt in the elder Saarinen’s mind that his son would be an architect. The common pattern—especially in America—would have been to preserve one’s individuality and independence by rebellious escape into another profession. “But,” Eero says wonderingly, “except for a brief excursion into sculpture it never occurred to me to do anything but follow my father’s footsteps.”  Louchheim, Aline B. “Now Saarinen the Son.” The New York Times 26 Apr. 1953.

Back row L to R: Eero Saarinen, Lily Swann Saarinen, Florence Schust Knoll.  Middle row: Eliel Saarien, Loja Saarinen and Hans Knoll.  Front: Eric Saarinen on rocking horse.  Copyright Cranbrook Archives, Saarinen Family Papers

Eames, Eero and Aline Saarinen, 1958.  Photos courtesy Eero Saarinen Collection, Yale University Library, copyright Tony Vaccaro Photography

Part 9 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Bertoias

Above montage: Celia and Harry  Bertoia.
Top right courtesy Celia Bertoia.  Other images: George Cserna.

Below: Lesta and Val Bertoia.  Photo George Cserna.

Part 8 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Albinsons

Albi and Don Albinson.  Image courtesy Bruce "Albi" Albinson.

Below, a vintage ad for Albinson's stacking chair.

Part 7 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Schultzs

Richard and Peter Schultz 1960.  Richard and Peter Schultz 2005.  Photos courtesy Richard Schultz Design.  Below: Schultz Outdoor Collection and Petal Tables from the Knoll advertising archives.

Part 6 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Matters

Alex Matter in an iconic advertisment for Knoll's Hardoy chair.  Herbert Matter recounts: 

I had to take pictures of the Hardoy chair and on a Saturday morning or afternoon I took my son to the studio with me because I took care of him. And so while I was preparing to shoot the chair I was looking and he started to run around the chair, pretending to be a cowboy and I just let him and took pictures. We probably never said a single word -- he just acted out a certain story he had in his mind -- so I took the pictures. At first I thought I would just use the best -- then I couldn't find them so I used as many as I could get into two pages.

Part 5 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Sappers

Top left: a 1964 family photo with Richard Sapper and the children's chairs he designed with Marco Zanuso for Kartell. Top right: Richard with Carola.  Bottom: Richard with Cornelia.  All images courtesy Carola Sapper. 

Part 4 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Risoms

Some 1945 family photos courtesy Helen Belluschi (Risom).  Top and bottom right: father-daughter time with Jens Risom and Helen Risom.  Bottom left: an adorable shot of Helen sharing her father's chair with Mira Nakashima.

Part 3 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

If you happen to be in New York this Thursday June 13th, don't miss the grand opening of Knoll's first ever retail showroom, Knoll Home Design Shop, at 1330 Avenue of the Americas (at 54th Street).  Richard Schultz will be present and signing every Petal end table sold.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Nakashimas

Above, a 1945 family photo courtesy Mira Nakashima. From L to R: Marion Nakashima, Hans Knoll, Helen Risom, Mira, and George.

Below, George, Mira and Kevin Nakashima. Photo courtesy George Nakashima Studios.



Part 2 of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.

Also, if you happen to be in New York this Thursday June 13th, don't miss the grand opening of Knoll's first ever retail showroom, Knoll Home Design Shop, at 1330 Avenue of the Americas (at 54th Street).  Richard Schultz will be present and signing every Petal end table sold.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Icons: The Breuers

Marcel Breuer and son Thomas, lost in a game of chess.  Wife Constance relaxes with the family dog in the background.  Breuer Cottage, Wellfleet, Massachusetts, 1950.  Photo by Walter Sanders / Time & Life Pictures / Getty Images.

Part of a series of photos I will be posting (via Knoll) leading up to Fathers Day, which takes a more intimate look at the life of these design icons.


Also, if you happen to be in New York this Thursday June 13th, don't miss the grand opening of Knoll's first ever retail showroom, Knoll Home Design Shop, at 1330 Avenue of the Americas (at 54th Street).  Richard Schultz will be present and signing every Petal end table sold.

Special thanks to Elizabeth Mallory and Sarah McLellan.

Watch: Leslie Williamson's Handcrafted Modern Europe: At Home with MidCentury Designers

Help Leslie make this book a reality! Handcrafted Modern Europe will feature an intimate look inside the homes of thirteen of the most important mid-twentieth century architects and designers in Europe, including Alvar and Aino Aalto, Bruno Mathsson, Finn Juhl, Carlo Mollino, and more.

Visit here for all the project details, and please share this post!

Icons: Le Corbusier + Albert Einstien Hanging Out

Back in 1946, Le Corbusier meet Albert Einstein at Princeton after traveling to New York to present at the United Nations his project for the UN Headquarters.

I had the pleasure of discussing the “Modulor” at some length with Professor Albert Einstein at Princeton. I was then passing through a period of great uncertainty and stress; I expressed myself badly, I explained the “Modulor” badly, I got bogged down in the morass of “cause and effect”… At one point, Einstein took a pencil and began to calculate. Stupidly, I interrupted him, the conversation turned to other things, the calculation remained unfinished. The friend who had brought me was in the depths of despair. In a letter written to me the same evening, Einstein had the kindness to say this of the “Modulor”: “It is a scale of proportions which makes the bad difficult and the good easy.” There are some who think this judgement is unscientific. For my part, I think it is extraordinarily clear-sighted. It is a gesture of friendship made by a great scientist towards us who are not scientists but soldiers on the field of battle. The scientist tells us: “This weapon shoots straight: in the matter of dimensioning, i.e. of proportions, it makes tour task more certain.”

- Le Corbusier, The Modulor (1954)

Via AwesomePeopleHangingOutTogether.

Watch: Finding Charles Pollock

Charles Pollock, the man behind some iconic designs for both Herman Miller and Knoll, reminisces about his early years working with George Nelson and Florence Knoll.

 Via Bernhardt Design.

Happy Holidays Everyone

Charles Eames captures a quiet moment at Eames House, of his wife Ray opening presents on Christmas Day. Via littlemailbox.

The next few posts will be queued as I take time off to be with loved ones. So on a personal note, I'd like to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Happy Holidays and New Year. Thank you for all your support, and for taking the time to read my musings.

2012 was a great year, and with new and exciting projects underway, 2013 only looks better.

All the best,
Roan

Icons: Jane Birkin, Serge Gainsbourg, Friso Kramer

 

Fascinating photo by an unidentified photographer of Jane taking notes, while sitting in Friso Kramer's Revolt Chair.

Via the modern love tumblr.

Icons: Oscar Niemeyer in his Copacabana studio

My favorite portrait of the late great architect, sitting on one of his most acclaimed designs: the fluid and sculptural Rio rocking chaise lounge.

Photo by Frédéric Reglain in 2002, via the daily mail.

Icons: Naomi & Kate by Mert & Marcus (nsfw)

British supermodel royalty Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss reunite for the newest issue of Interview Magazine Russia. Photographed by Mert + Marcus, and styled by Patti Wilson.

 Via Sinuous Magazine.

Farewell Oscar Niemeyer

Architect Oscar Niemeyer, who recreated Brazil’s sensuous curves in reinforced concrete and built the capital of Brasilia on the empty central plains as a symbol of the nation’s future, died Wednesday. He was 104 (!).

See all my past features on his work here.

Watch: Classic Spaces: Jens Risom's Weekend Home: Block Island

A couple of years ago I had posted a few archived photos of Jens Risom's prefab weekend retreat, from a 1967 Life magazine feature. Skeptics expected it to only stand a year before being blown down by winds. It was a nice surprise to learn that not only does the structure still stand, it is still being used by Jens Risom and his family today.

In this beautiful short film from Dwell, Risom reminisces on the construction of this truly amazing home.