NOVEMBER 2004

WOLFSONIAN NEW EXHIBITION FEATURES SEATING FURNITURE

A single object like a chair can both crystallize a designer's philosophy and reflect the spirit of the times. Evolution/Revolution: A Century of Modern Seating, a new exhibition opening at The Wolfsonian–Florida International University, will provide the viewer with a historical overview of the stylistic changes conveyed by these furnishings over time, and express the ideals of individual makers and movements. The exhibition will open to the public on Saturday, November 20, and continue through June 5, 2005.

The Wolfsonian's collection of seating furniture, derived primarily from Europe and North America, traces the period from 1849 to 1946. Most important, it provides viewers with an opportunity to examine the relationship between form and function and symbolism and meaning. The exhibition also explores issues concerning documentation (patent information or provenance), historic context (how the object was originally used), and preservation. Marianne Lamonaca, assistant director for exhibitions and curatorial affairs and Sarah Schleuning, assistant curator, have organized Evolution/Revolution as a series of case studies, to examine social and political issues, technical achievements, and economic conditions. "By focusing on one design expression—seating furniture—we offer our audience the opportunity to reflect on the many stories that a single, ordinary object can communicate. Aspects of production—the materials used, whether it was made by hand or machine, the place it was made, and how it was used—tell us about the individual designer or maker and about society at large." For example, at the end of the nineteenth century proponents of the Arts and Crafts movement in Great Britain and America rejected machine-made objects. Gustav Stickley's reclining armchair embodies the movement's ideals of handcraftsmanship, use of indigenous materials, and clarity of form without extraneous decoration. In contrast, the Gebrüder Thonet Company in Austria, makers of the ubiquitous bentwood café chair, successfully combined design, materials, and technology. The Thonet chaise model no. 2 exemplifies how standardized bentwood elements were manipulated to create a decorative form that complemented its function. "Stickley's design philosophy illustrates a continuation of age-old woodworking techniques and traditions, while Thonet's embraces machine technology revolutionizing how furniture was manufactured, promoted, and distributed," explains Schleuning.

After the First World War, the role of metal furniture took on progressive social implications. Designers at the Bauhaus school in Germany experimented with tubular metal to create lightweight, portable chairs that could serve multiple uses in small living spaces. Metal furniture had traditionally been used as outdoor furnishings, not for domestic interiors. Marcel Breuer's side chair model no. 301, in aluminum and plywood, is characterized by stark geometry, transparent structure, and a machine-like metallic finish. Frank Lloyd Wright worked with Warren McArthur to design a prototype chair for use in the offices of his Johnson Wax Administration Building in Racine, Wisconsin. McArthur experimented with tubular aluminum, rather than tubular steel, in order to lighten the weight of the chair while retaining its strength. Though the design was innovative, Wright ultimately rejected McArthur's prototype, perhaps because of the awkward joining elements that interrupted the fluid line of the chair.

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