Modern Furniture Exhibit 2007 - - An Exhibit in Temple Hoyne Buell Hall Gallery
Tulip Chair, Pedestal Table, Arm Chair, Grasshopper Chair
Eero Saarinen Finland 1910-1961
Although Saarinen made his reputation in the United States following World War II, he had his roots in Europe. Until 1923, he lived in Finland with his father Eliel Saarinen an architect of the National Romantic movement, who went on to teach architecture at the University of Michigan. For Eero architecture was a discipline like the fine arts, and in particular, sculpture. He called himself a "form giver" and everything he designed had a strong sculptural quality.
Saarinen began his career as a student at Yale University and after travels and studies in Europe returned to the U.S. and taught for a brief period at Cranbrook. Cranbrook was founded by publisher George C. Booth and Eliel Saarinen in 1927 and Saarinen became Director in 1932. Two of its graduates were Charles Eames and Florence Schust Knoll. Saarinen and Eames collaborated on various projects, culminating in a range of furniture that won first prize at an exhibition held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1940 entitled, "Organic Design in Home Furnishings." After 1946, however Eames went to work for Herman Miller; Saarinen became associated with Knoll Associates. A number of Saarinen’s chairs for Knoll were to become landmarks in the history of 20th century design.
The first, preceding the "Womb" chair, was the "Grasshopper" chair. It was made from a single piece of fiberglass, upholstered in latex foam and poised on a tubular steel frame. Between 1948 and 1956, Saarinen created a range of office chairs for Knoll and another classic chair, the "Tulip," was produced as part of a range of pedestal items for Knoll between 1955 and 1957. Saarinen’s stated objective with the pedestal group was to clean up the "slum of legs" in domestic interiors. Like his furniture, Sarrinen’s architecture is characterized by expressive sculptural forms. His two masterworks are the TWA Terminal at Kennedy Airport, New York and Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.
Photo left: http://www.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/architect.htm
Text and photo right: http://www.dwr.com/designers/?designer_id=270
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