The exhibition 'Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design' explores the rich interplay of art and design in all craft media that exploded across the United States during the postwar era.

Falling Blue, Harvey Littleton, 1969, Photo: Ed Watkins  -  Scrap Chair, J.B. Blunk, 1968, Photo: Leslie Williamson

Crafting Modernism covers a 25-year period that begins with the craftsman-designers of the 1940s and 1950s, and concludes in 1969.

Neckpiece, Betty Cooke, 1959, Photo: Eva Heyd  -  Pin, Ronald Senungetuk, 1969, Photo: John Bigelow Taylor

In the period immediately after World War II, characterized by mass production, the handmade object offered a humanizing counterpoint to the machine aesthetic. The exhibition looks at the connections between craft and the design world, through the work of textile designer Dorothy Liebes, furniture maker George Nakashima, silversmith Jack Prip, sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi, among others. Also examined are designers who incorporated craft techniques or aesthetics into more wide-scale production, such as Edith Heath and Ray and Charles Eames.

Form, Ka Kwong Hui, 1968, Photo: Ed Watkins  -  Chest-table, Wharton Esherick, 1969, Photo: Ed Watkins

The exhibition follows the growth and transformation of American life through the turbulent period of the 1960s. As craft programs developed and expanded in university art departments across the United States, artists such as Peter Voulkos and Lenore Tawney increasingly began to consider the sculptural and aesthetic qualities of their materials, previously reserved for functional objects. This development paralleled an increasing openness in the art world to new expressions and alternative media demonstrated in the works of artists such as Claire Falkenstein and Alexander Calder.

Wine Rack, Arthur Espenet Carpenter, 1968, Photo: David Behl  -  Small table, George Nakashima, 1960, Photo: Thomas Little

As craft entered the public realm through museum exhibitions and publications, it added to the ongoing political and social dialogue in American art and life, serving as a representative of a counter-culture lifestyle. Artists in the exhibition include iconic figures such as Wendell Castle, Jack Lenor Larsen, and Sheila Hicks, as well as lesser-known artists from around the country now recognized as highly influential within their fields, including furniture-maker John Kapel, jeweler Ernest Ziegfeld, Asian Americans Ka Kwong Hui and Margaret Choy, and Native Americans Ron Senungetuk and Lloyd Kiva New.

Mosaic Table, Lee Krasner, 1947, Photo ©Pollock-Krasner Foundation/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York  -  Vase, Rudolf Staffel, 1968, Photo: Ed Watkins

Exhibition: Crafting Modernism: Midcentury American Art and Design

Museum of Art & Design, New York, NY
From October 12, 2011 to January 15, 2012

and at

Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester, New York   ()
From February 26 to May 20, 2012

Heath Ceramics and House Industries are launching Heath house numbers, three-dimensional clay tiles celebrating the legendary Neutra and Eames fonts.

The Heath artisans are uniquely qualified to create a three-dimensional ceramic representation of House Industries’ two-dimensional typographic world. Each clay tile is glazed in a matte finish with a raised, unglazed number. As with all Heath tiles, Heath house numbers are pressed, hand-glazed, trimmed, and kiln-fired. They fuse simple, crisp lines, geometric forms and rich glazes in bold and classic colors. The two companies designed the tiles to be modular and easily integrated within a Heath tile installation, as well as to be displayed on their own with the use of a beautiful, modern track system—available in either salvaged teak or stainless steel.

“Bringing the Neutra and Eames-inspired fonts to life in clay form is so exciting to us,” says Heath Ceramics Creative Director Catherine Bailey. “Forming these beautiful and refined type-shapes out of an imprecise material, like clay, creates a fantastic contrast. The finished piece becomes as interesting as what’s likely to be housed inside the homes where the numbers preside.”

Richard J. Neutra was a rare personality whose character combined an uncommon aesthetic ability with a profound sense of civic responsibility. His physio-psychic architecture linked living spaces to their surrounding landscapes, physically and intellectually enriching the entire being. Impressed with Neutra’s design sensibilities, House Industries consulted with his son and partner, Dion, to produce Neutraface—an extensive font family based on the lettering that adorned many Neutra buildings. Since first releasing Neutraface in 2001, House Industries has continued to expand the family of typefaces with alternative, condensed and slab-serif styles.

Charles and Ray Eames are among the most important American designers of this century. House Industries worked closely with the Eames family for over ten years to gain access to some of the more obscure archive materials, to seek approval for the designs and to get a feel for what Charles and Ray would have wanted in a font family that bears their name. The Eames Century Roman family has eight different weights, from a distinctively delicate thin to a bombastic extra black. Corresponding italics are on double duty with their subtle nod to Ray Eames’ handwriting style while also providing an accompaniment to the Roman styles. Keeping with the Eames philosophy of balancing form and function, House also developed a special stencil version of the heaviest weight of the text family.

The Neutra numbers (3x6 inches) are offered in museum black and mid-century white, while the more playful Eames numbers (4x4 inches) are available in bright yellow, paprika, and museum black.

"The designer Jens Quistgaard - A saucepan for my wife" is a new documentary film about Danish designer Jens Quistgaard (1919-2008) who from the mid-1950s introduced Danish Design and Scandinavian Modern in the USA.

Many American's are familiar with Quistgaard's designs, but few have met the man behind. For the first time in this filmed portrait, the designer invites a camera into his own universe. Shooting was carried out over a period of three years, ending only a few months before his death in 2008 at nearly 89. We follow Quistgaard at close range in his unique home; watch him in action at his working table; and we hear him talk of his life, his work and what drives him as a designer.

Casserole "Kobenstyle", enamel on steel, Dansk Designs 1955

In the film he tells the story of his first meeting with the recently deceased, successful American businessman, Ted Nierenberg, who one day in 1954 appears at his studio in Copenhagen. It is a meeting of two personalities, each talented within his own field, and it marks the birth of the company Dansk Designs, where for decades, as chief designer, Quistgaard charted the course with his design lines for table and kitchen - everything from flatware, saucepans and pitchers to glassware, trays, bowls and pepper mills of teak and exotic woods. The idea was to create a sense of aesthetic and functional unity for all objects we place on the table; and Quistgaard's designs put a new and practical stamp on kitchens and tables in many American homes.

Sugar bowls "Smooth Flamestone", Dansk Designs C. 1964

The film shows examples of the breadth and range of his output and includes unique 16 mm clips from the 50s and early 60s from his exhibitions and his architecture in the USA, culminating in the the large and unique house at Armonk north of New York City that he designs for his partner, Ted Nierenberg. Quistgaard designs everything for this house: door handles, bath tubs, newel stair, windows and roof. Completed in 1961, the house stands as a unique testimony to Quistgaard's ideal of architectural unity. Personally he is deeply rooted in the old traditions of craftsmanship, the ship-building of the Vikings, the temples of the Incas, the pottery of the peasants as well as the fashioning of tools, weapons and clothing among Eskimos, American Indians and Bedouins. Quistgaard acknowledges his debt to tradition by translating it into a modern design language with a prominent personal stamp.

Pepper mills in teak, wenge, cocobolo and mutenye. Dansk Designs 1956-61

Today, his best things are icons, and Quistgaard has become a cult figure for younger generations. His designs from the 1950s and 1960s are prized by collectors all around the world, and after his death a number of his designs have once again been put into production.

Pitchers "Kobenstyle, enamel on steel, Dansk Designs 1955

Stig Guldberg is an Associate Professor at Metropolitan University College in Denmark. His educational background is in the History of Ideas, Literature and Design, and he has been National Adviser for the Danish Ministry of Education in the areas of Art and Design for many years. The documentary on Jens Quistgaard marks Stig Guldberg's debut as a film director.

The documentary film by Stig Guldberg is now available on DVD for sale on Amazon.

Berlin design gallery Helmrinderknecht contemporary design dedicates its second show completely to the subject of vases.

The exhibition Vase vs. Vases brings together contemporary positions of 15 designers and artists. Works of renowned designers and young upcoming design talents are shown in the creative tension between diverse forms of design engineering, and a variety of materials and production approaches. The novel handling of experimental and conceptual design, figuration, abstraction and craftsmanship result in vases that dance, that shine, that are actually a plant, that used to be a bag, and much more....

Frédéric Dedelley (CH), Objet mélancolique No 1 - 2009	osko+deichmann (D), Vase Plant No 1 - 2009
Robin van Hontem (NL), Dancing Vases - 2009	Alfredo Häberli (CH), Lineas - 2007
Julia Maendler (D), Vase Cœur - 2009	Herrmann Weizenegger (D), Chop - 2009
Robert Stadler (A), LVase - 2009	Tina Roeder (D), Bucket Vase - 2009

Exhibition 'Vase vs. Vases'
From November 14 2009 to January 9 2010
Helmrinderknecht contemporary design
Linienstrasse 87
D-10119 Berlin

Featuring more than 100 contemporary design products and systems - safer baby bottles, a high-tech waterless washing machine, low-cost prosthetics for landmine victims, Braille-based Lego-style building blocks for blind children, wheelchairs for rugged conditions, sugarcane charcoal, universal composting systems, DIY soccer balls - this book makes the case for design as a tool to solve some of the world's biggest social problems in beautiful, sustainable and engaging ways - for global citizens in the developing world and in more developed economies alike. Particularly at a time when the weight of climate change, global poverty and population growth are impossible to ignore, Emily Pilloton challenges designers to be changemakers instead of "stuff creators." Urgent and optimistic, a compendium and a call to action, Design Revolution is an exciting design publication to come out this year.

Clay Water Filters by Tony Flynn

A grassroots alternative to higher-tech filtration systems, Tony Flynn’s three-ingredient filters take advantage of the inherent properties of locally available materials to provide clean drinking water in the simplest of manners. Flynn, a materials scientist and ceramics lecturer from The Australian National University, combined terra-cotta, coffee grounds (or other organic material), and cow dung to create personal-use water filters that remove common pathogens including E. coli. The filters provide a free, do-it-yourself alternative to the commercial options, which often use the same ceramic filtration process but are financially inaccessible to developing communities.  The filters can be made by anyone with access to crushed terra-cotta, organic material, and sufficient water to create a thick mixture that can be formed into a self-supported pot. The shaped pots are sun dried until hard, then fired on a bed of dry cow dung and leaves for 45 minutes. During the firing process, the organic material and agricultural by-products in the demographics for which DIY filters are most urgently needed. The filters  safely remove 96.4 to 99.8 percent of all E. coli bacteria and can filter .25 gallon (1 L) of water in two hours. Several filters may be used in sequence for particularly contaminated or dirty water. Perhaps the system’s only drawback is the difficulty of perfecting the mixture, wall thickness, and shape of the pots, all of which can require some practice. Those with previous ceramics or craft experience will be better equipped to produce higher-quality filters.  

Sugarcane Charcoal by D-Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

In Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, the primary cooking fuel is wood charcoal. The fuel is notoriously dirty when burned, and many children in the country die of respiratory infections due to inhalation of indoor cooking fumes. Despite the charcoal’s detriments, Haitians are dependent on it, which is additionally problematic because Haiti is 98 percent deforested. As a potential solution to these issues, a team of engineers and students, led by Amy Smith from MIT’s D-Lab, looked to agricultural waste as a viable resource for the production of cleaner, more sustainable charcoal that could simultaneously create jobs and fuel. The charcoal the team developed is made from dried bagasse, the primary waste product from sugarcane processing. This fibrous material is left after the juice has been squeezed from the cane. The bagasse is burned in a 55-gallon (208-L) oil-drum kiln, where it carbonizes. It is then mixed with cassava root as a binder and compacted using a press designed by D-Lab to form briquettes. The charcoal burns clean, creating no smoke and making it healthier to use and  produce. As it requires no wood, it also preserves the little forest Haiti has left. Though the sugarcane has been successful, D-Lab continues to research and explore other agricultural waste products, such as corncobs, that could be cooking-fuel alternatives. In its new use, sugarcane charcoal gives waste products a function and creates jobs to support its continued production, while using local materials and skills to support new enterprises and sustain emerging economies. Since its initial implementation in Haiti, the use and production of sugarcane charcoal has been field-tested and expanded into parts of Brazil, Ghana and India, places where sugarcane and its agricultural waste are widely available.

Rapid Deployable System (RDS) by Hoberman Associates, Inc. and Johnson Outdoors’s Eureka!

Developed primarily for use by military and crisis-relief workers, the RDS provides “quick-up” structures for modular expansion that are durable, efficient, and easy to assemble and disassemble. The systems can also connect to existing shelters to add space for short-term needs. The RDS comes in a variety of sizes and is  comprised of articulated parts such as arches, legs, leg sleeves, and a connecting hub. A separate floor and cover complete the shelter’s construction. The RDS is made from extreme rugged materials and has a weather-proofed surface, making it durable in the harshest environments and allowing it to be used as a long-term structure in the developing world. Its PVC-coated, high-tenacity fabric can sustain winds of up to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) and 2 inches (5.1 cm) of rain per hour. The system also has passive ventilation systems and components that are interchangeable with other RDS units. The structures can be erected in just minutes for use as medical suites, operation centers, food service locations, and areas for first responders. The largest RDS shelter measures 695 square feet (64.5 sq. m) when assembled and collapses to a 3-by-3.5-by-6-foot (0.9-by-1.1-by-1.8-m) bundle.

Whirlwind RoughRider by Whirlwind Wheelchair International

In the 1980s, paraplegic engineer and wheelchair designer Ralf Hotchkiss traveled the world, working with doctors and patients to design and build wheelchairs from locally available materials. He found that in many areas the need for the chairs was urgent and severe. In an effort to continue his work and bring reliable, affordable mobility to the handicapped in developing countries, Hotchkiss founded Whirlwind Wheelchair International with Peter Pfaelzer, an engineering professor at the Institute for Civic and Community Engagement at SFSU. The organization works to create and support enterprises for local wheelchair production, in order to make it possible for every handicapped individual in the developing world to have access to a chair that is affordable, durable, and empowering. Their RoughRider wheelchair fulfills the group’s mission through an open-source design that makes the end-user central during the production process. RoughRider is a low-cost wheel-chair that is optimized for the needs of users and the limitations of manufacturing facilities in developing countries. While most wheelchairs are designed to maneuver only on smooth surfaces, the RoughRider’s wheels, frame, and mechanics make it suitable for more rugged conditions in both urban and rural areas, enabling the user to be independently mobile. The wheelchair is collapsible to fit in small spaces and includes functional features like low armrests, toe protectors for barefoot riding, a curvilinear frame to better fit the body and discourage the visual stigma of clunky chairs, and multiple rear axle positions to optimize stability. Its front set of smaller, caster-like wheels allow for increased durability, balance, and maneuverability over rough terrain. Its versatility enables a range of everyday activities including working, playing, traveling, going to school, and doing household chores. Additionally, its frame and components can all be assembled by anyone with basic manufacturing skills and materials. The need for parts, joints, and skilled labor is kept at a minimum to ensure both quality construction and easy maintenance.

Playground Fence by Tejo Remy and René Veenhuizen

Dutch designers Tejo Remy and René Veenhuizen are known for their clever designs that encourage new user experiences and create connections between people and objects. When commissioned in 2004 to transform the playground space at the primary school De Noorderlicht in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, their goal was to inspire new interactions while adding no new material to the space. With those objectives in mind, they looked to the existing infrastructure of the school’s standard metal fence as an opportunity. Remy and Veenhuizen reimagined it not as a two-dimensional barrier, but as a three dimensional, inhabitable space that would create new experiences for students and passersby on either side of it. By altering the shape of the vertical fence, adding convex and concave curves to the bars, the designers created meeting places, seating, and play spaces within its structure. Distortions to the traditional rhythm of the fence yield new geometries that are both aesthetically appealing and functional. As a result, the fence becomes a part of the playground for the children rather than an exclusionary element, and provides an opportunity for parents and other community members to engage with students.

Emily Pilloton, author of this book, is the founder and Executive Director of Project H Design, a global industrial design nonprofit with eight chapters around the world. Trained in architecture at the University of California, Berkeley, and product design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Pilloton started Project H in 2008 to provide a conduit and catalyst for need-based product design that empowers individuals, communities and economies. Current Project H initiatives include water transport and filtration systems in South Africa and India; an educational math playground built for elementary schools in Uganda and North Carolina; a homeless-run design coop in Los Angeles; and design concepts for foster care education and therapy in Austin, Texas.

'Design Revolution: 100 Products That Empower People' for sale on Amazon

Nanny Still was one of the most colourful figures of Finnish design. Born in Helsinki in 1926, she started her career in 1949 at the Riihimäki Glassworks. Until 1976 she designed countless sets of tumblers, yet she was not afraid to experiment. She introduced many innovations in the use of colour and technique.

In the late 1950's Nanny Still moved to Belgium and started designing for companies like Cerabel (Belgium), Heinrich Porzellan (Germany) and Rosenthal (Germany).

Nanny Still earned herself a reputation designing a varied range of industrial products in a variety of materials such as glass, metal, porcelain and wood. (via Design Museum Gent)