The Home Front: American Furniture Now
Guest Curator, The Museum of Arts and Design (New York)
January 13 – April 21, 2011
About
A series of public programs on American contemporary furniture analyzing the industry from viewpoints of multiple angles—ranging from retail and architecture to small business and creative process. Moderated panels and discussions and open studio sessions were hosted by a variety of leading American design voices including: The American Design Club, The Architect’s Newspaper, Fast Company, Interior Design, Pratt Institute, Sight Unseen, and Surface.
Curatorial Statement
Like most disciplines of design, furniture reflects and influences popular culture, touches people’s daily lives, and acts as a barometer of economic prosperity. Just as the rise and fall of hemlines can be linked to the attitudes of the age, so too can the styles of sofa upholstery or the grandiosity of an office chair be relied upon as signs of the times.
In an age when the economic supremacy of the United States is doubt, we are comforted by our design culture remaining competitive: our iPhones are worshipped, our software is the prevalent, our architecture world-class, and our frocks hold their own on the runway. Sadly, the same is not said of contemporary American furniture. This may be more perception than reality, but in consideration of the enviable size of our population, the also-ran status of our furniture on the world stage is a frustrating dilemma.
Exploring the state of contemporary American furniture design, the series The Home Front aims not to make judgments on the merits of American design, nor to promote particular agendas. Instead, this series gives the otherwise disparate voices on the opposite ends of the industry—from architects and retailers to independent designers and educators—a chance to engage the public and shed light on the inner workings of an industry that often goes under appreciated.
Events
In Stock: Why is American Design Such a Hard Sell?
Leading retailers on the front lines of contemporary furniture discuss with Surface Editor-in-Chief Dan Rubinstein the seller's perspective on American design. How can designers get noticed by these career-making venues? What are they looking for, and what mistakes can local talent avoid? From the nuts and bolts of cost, quality, and manufacturing to the tastes and tendencies of the U.S. public, these tastemakers revealed their often under-appreciated opinions in a roundtable format followed by an open Q&A. Panelists included: New York's Jamie Gray (Matter), Siamak Hakakian (DDC), and LA's Stefan Lawrence (Twentieth, LA).
Making It: Challenges Facing the American Designer
How do new designers overcome the odds, break into the industry, and stay there? How do they find studio space, someone local to produce their work, get noticed, and stay productive year after year? Journalist and author Jen Renzi penned a series of columns for Fast Company’s design blog, Co.Design, profiling her heroes of American furniture design. Key talents from her coverage, including Alissia Melka-Teichroew, Jonah Takagi, and BDDW’s Tyler Hays, joined Renzi at MAD for a candid discussion of their success, half-starts, and even their poetic failures—and how others might learn from those experiences.
Drafted: The Evolving Role of Architects in Furniture Design
Like experienced chefs preferring their ingredients to come from local sources, architects would have the most to gain from a stronger American design scene. The Architect’s Newspaper’s Executive Editor Julie Iovine hosted a roundtable discussion and Q&A with top minds including Michael Graves, Gisue Hariri, Granger Moorhead, and Jeffrey Bernett on their experiences, strategies and needs when it comes to making American design happen.
After Class: The First Steps of the American Designer
Caught between a culture ambivalent on the values of design and a slowing economy, young designers face an enormous challenge post graduation. Moderated by Interior Design magazine editor Annie Block, designers Dror Benshetrit and Todd Bracher joined Pratt Institute Professor of Industrial Design Mark Goetz on how they navigated their own path to success. A portfolio review for students and alumni with the designers followed the panel.
The American Design Club in the Open Studios
The American Design Club (AmDC) is a loose collective of New York’s leading young design talent. In recent years, the group has executed self-financed events and exhibitions showcasing their highly creative and independent work. The AmDC invited a group of their members to work in the museum’s open-to-the-public studios, highlighting their creative process by creating new work. On April 21st Monica Khemsurov and Jill Singer of blog Sight Unseen moderated a discussion in the auditorium analyzed the work created and displayed during this full-week period.
Selected Press
The New York Times
Dwell
The Architect’s Newspaper
Fast Company's Co. Design (Parts: 1, 2, 3)
Interior Design
Sight Unseen
The Philip Johnson Glass House
Otto-Otto
