modern (2)
1950 - 1970
( history of rocking chairs, 4 of 6 ) |
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prototype rocker, 1948
by charles and ray eames
wire mesh shell rocker
with white bikini pads, 1951
by charles and ray eames |
CHARLES AND RAY EAMES
ca 1950, usa
in the early 1940's the eames, charles (1907-1978)
and ray (1912-1989), had the chance
to experiment with new methods of bending plywood
in the work they did for the navy wartime effort.
they applied these techniques to their furniture design.
their chairs were designed for herman miller in four materials:
molded plywood, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, bent and
welded wire mesh, and cast aluminum.
the conceptual backbone of these diverse works was the search
for seat and back forms that comfortably support the human
body, using three dimensionally shaped surfaces or flexible
materials instead of cushioned upholstery.
the chairs were attached to 6 different bases like the
'eiffel tower,' standard legs, or rocker legs .
the RAR (rocking armchair rod) has a moulded
fibreglass-reinforced polyester seat and an eiffel tower
base with birch wood rockers on the bottom.
it is said that the RAR rockers were originally gifts to
herman miller employees who just had newborns !
the prototype of the RAR rocking chair
was designed for the museum of modern art's
'international competition for low-cost furniture
design' in 1948.
the organically-shaped one-piece stamped metal
bucket seat was never mass-produced
(fiberglass shells had not yet been developed at
time of the competition).
in the winning design, the chair had a steel rod 'X'
base on birch runners.
inspired by trays, dress forms, baskets, and animal traps,
the eames office used bent and welded wire mesh
as the basis for furniture designs.
the wire-mesh chair, like the fiberglass chair, was a
uni-shell design. the shell could be adapted to various
base configurations and upholstery types.
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RAR rocking armchair, 1950
by charles and ray eames
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'rapid rocker'
by ralph rapson
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RALPH RAPSON (1914)
ca. 1951, usa
the architect ralph rapson is best known for his experimental
fabric house and the tyrone guthrie theater,
the us embassy buildings in stockholm and copenhagen.
in addition to his architectural career he has been a furniture
designer and a design-oriented merchant.
in 1945, he helped knoll launch their 'equipment for living'
series of furniture and knoll produced the rapson line
which included his 'rapid rocker.'
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rocking chair (photo without upholstery)
by gio ponti
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GIO PONTI
ca. 1953, italy
gio ponti (1891-1979) was a designer, architect, poet, painter,
writer and editor.
his artistic work is very important in the panorama of the italian art.
in 1928 he founded the magazine 'domus'.
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'loop', eternit rocking chair
by willy guhl
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WILLY GUHL
switzerland, 1954
the 'loop' rocker is handmade of eternit:
a light gray, asbestos free, cement/fiber bond
and was initially designed for outdoor use.
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rocking stool by isamu noguchi
courtesy the vitra museum
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ISAMU NOGUCHI
1955, usa
the japanese / american sculptor isamu noguchi
(1904-1988) was a sculptor, designer, architect,
and craftsman.
his work ranged from objects that could be held in one's
hands, lamps and furniture to monumental gardens
and landscapes; from stone and metal to paper and wood.
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rocking chair by george nakashima
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GEORGE NAKASHIMA
ca. 1955, usa
the american-born japanese designer george nakashima
(1905-1990) was an internationally acclaimed artisan.
his woodworking craftsman's philosophy was
'the woodworker's responsibility is to the tree itself,
which has been sacrificed to live again in the woodworker's
hands...' his furniture is articulate in design,
reverent in his respect for the true nature of things.
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'PS 16', 'rocking chaise' by franco albini
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FRANCO ALBINI
1956, italy
franco albini (1905 - 1977) is often considered to be the
most important of the italian 'neo-rationalist' designers.
much of his furniture was designed to make use of local
inexpensive raw materials during the post war
years when other materials were scarce.
his work, both in architecture and design, displays a
commitment to rigorous craftsmanship and elegance
built on a minimalist aesthetic, unencumbered by
extraneous ornamentation. his 'rocking chaise' for reclining,
like a taut hammock held within the confines of a
wooden frame, was produced by poggi.
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decoration and rocking chair
by piero fornasetti and gio ponti
courtesy barnaba fornasetti
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PIERO FORNASETTI
ca 1956, italy
piero fornasetti (1913 -1988) was a designer but at the same time an artist,
illustrator, printer, graphic designer, craftsman,
manufacturer and businessman. although a modern designer,
he celebrated surface decoration. he challenged formal
conventions: neither form nor decoration follow function,
nor does decoration follow form.
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'sella' rocking stool
by achille and piergiacomo castiglioni
courtesy zanotta
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ACHILLE (1918)
AND PIER GIACOMO CASTIGLIONI (1913-1968)
1957, italy
exploiting duchamp's concept of the ready-made in furniture
design, the 'sella' rocking stool has a black racing bycicle saddle
on a pink lacquered steel column with cast-iron base.
manufactured by zanotta.
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rocking chair by verner panton
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VERNER PANTON
ca. 1960, denmark
verner panton (1926-1998), architect and designer,
worked as an associate of arne jacobsen.
he opened his own design office in 1955 where
he created the first single-form injection molded plastic
chair in 1960.
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'sgarsul' rocker
by gae aulenti
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GAE AULENTI (1927)
1962, italy
the rocking chair was produced by poltronova. |
'dondolo' rocking chair
by cesare leonardi and franca stagi
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CESARE LEONARDI (1935)
AND FRANCA STAGI (1937)
1967, italy
the 'dondolo' rocker's fibreglass construction was
strengthened by incorporating ribbing.
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'forenza' rocking chair
by motomi kawakami
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MOTOMI KA WAKAMI
1968, italy
the 'fiorenza' rocker demonstrates how moulded
thermoplastics (ABS) took over from moulded
plywood.
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'pastil' rocking armchair
by eero aarnio
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EERO AARNIO (1932)
1967, finland
the 'gyro' chair (also called 'pastille' chair),
is made of moulded glass-reinforced polyester.
ade by asko oy, finland.
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'culbuto' rocking chair by marc held
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MARC HELD (1932)
1967, usa
marc held, a french designer, conceived the idea
of an easy chair that could both swivel and rock.
it was designed in 1967 and knoll produced it in 1970.
the original collection included three pieces -
a high back chair, a lounge chair with an ottoman.
each of the pieces rests on a convex base in order
to both rock and swivel.
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'le temon' rocking object / seater
by man ray |
MAN RAY
ca. 1970, italy
this surrealist art object was introduced into the context
of furniture for everyday use.
'le temon' was part of the collection 'ultramobile'
by dino gavina and simon. |
