How often do you think of the inventor of that gorgeous piece of furniture you just saw when you walked down the street? Are they just people who cut a few pieces of wood, got some sheets of metal and juxtaposed them in a fairly nice way?
Some people to whom furniture was more than just that made history. What's more, some of them were architects of not just their sofas and tables but also of American modernism. He perpetuated a philosophy that reinforced human creativity and was the modernist who epitomises this creativity in his designs and looks at furniture in a way that only he can visualize.
He was born in Hartford in Connecticut. He showed all signs of brilliance as he grew up. College at Yale, degree in Fine Arts, work at pencil Points, and the Rome prize for Architecture -just another feather in the cap for him. After winning this, as reward he got to stay in a palace in Rome, study architecture in the amazing city of boundless beauty and meet some of the greatest minds of modernist art like Gio Ponti, Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier. He interviewed them all for Pencil Points. His writings talked about a lot of concepts. He later co-wrote a book called "Tomorrow's House" with Henry Wright (the man who made The Bungalow in Chicago). In his book, he introduced the revolutionary ideas of the family room and the storage wall. This made for interesting observation to Herman Miller who was introduced to Nelson by his brother Howard Miller.
The rest is history. Miller was interested in Nelson's futuristic visions for furniture and gave him a chance even though he had never actually designed anything previously. And George Nelson, being George Nelson, did not disappoint. Working together with other notable designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Irving Harper, Robert Schultz and David Knorr, he came up with some of the most frequently sought after pieces of furniture currently.
In 1955 he started his own firm -George Nelson Associates. The famous Nelson artworks today include The Coconut Chair, The Marshmallow Sofa, The Ball Clock and the Nelson Platform bench. Some of the top notch people who worked with him were Irving Harper, John Pile and later, Ettore Scotsass. What happens to a company with that amount of genius is anybody's guess. There were negative criticisms as well of his work as he was a staunch modernist. He often blamed his colleagues for not standing by their principles of thought and design likings and going by what would commercially benefit them.
What Nelson is best known for is furniture but what made him an industry wizard is his yearning for the betterment of the world through his designs. An urge to preserve the rules of nature while still being modern was inherent in him. That is why his designs be it the marshmallow sofas or the sunflower clock -are not mere pieces of art. They are marvels born out of the human mind. In what we saw a lifeless pane of metal, Nelson saw the possibility of making it come alive.
Take a look at furniture designers. Please visit our furniture page about furniture designers like George Nelson
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
Make Internet calls to shorten those large bills
By: Nisha Garg | 04/01/2010Communication by far considered as the most important part of our day-to-day life. Calling came out as the best medium to take the trend of communication forward. To shorten high calling bills and daily recharging, technology has brought Internet calls into the picture to make free Internet calls using different softwares like VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol).
Make Internet calls to shorten those large bills
By: Nisha Garg | 04/01/2010Communication by far considered as the most important part of our day-to-day life. Calling came out as the best medium to take the trend of communication forward. To shorten high calling bills and daily recharging, technology has brought Internet calls into the picture to make free Internet calls using different softwares like VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol).
Music Production - Hip Hop Track Sampling
By: Will Chan | 04/01/2010Hip-hop is a genre of music that comprises of a fusion of several styles mostly rap accompanied by backing beats. Hip-hop is termed as a culture especially among the African Americans and it started back in the 70s in New York. Track sampling is the act of taking a portion...
Leave the differences behind and make a call to Pakistan
By: Nisha Garg | 04/01/2010Pakistan is one such destination which resides in South Asia and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west. Although being categorized as a developing economy, it offers many things which includes some of the best forts, museums, amusement parks etc. By looking at the present scenario of it would definitely be a treat to probe something fresh through the facility to make a call to Pakistan.
The Best Tips For A Great Online Modeling Portfolio
By: Mark Brown | 04/01/2010A few tips could be of much help to you in creating a great online portfolio. In online portfolio your snaps are uploaded in websites of online modeling agencies. You should choose a prominent type or line of modeling. Be informed about the current trends of the industry in that line. Associate with a reputed and active model agency. Prepare for the photo session as per their directions. Put only the best photos in the portfolio. There should be variety in postures and poses.
Basics For Learning How to Draw
By: Ruediger Schmidt | 04/01/2010Starting is always the most complicated part. That's even more truthful if you're beginning to study how to draw - be it online or offline. To jump-start your draftsman career you need two things: start by acquiring the fundamental methods and second: select the proper subjects for exercising your drawing skills. Learn...
Trivia Quiz – Medical and Medicine Trivia Quiz With Answers
By: William Lund | 04/01/2010Medical trivia I find is some of the more interesting trivia one encounters. Not only is it interesting, but can be quite helpful in certain situations… So here you go, a whole lot of medical and medicine trivia questions with the answers so you can gauge your knowledge of the world of Doctors, Medicine and Medical procedures. Now take the trivia quiz.
How Does a Ballet Bar Make Ballet Accessible For Everyone?
By: Daniel Hansen | 04/01/2010Conventionally, people think ballet is only for the daughters of rich families who want to engage their kids in physical activity. Because ballet class is usually expensive and requires so much time and effort on the part of the parents and their kids to keep their children at ballet studios. Plus good equipments like ballerina shoes, leotards and tights are usually expensive too. This perception is typically wrong. Ballet is not only for the rich, nor just for little girls. Ballet is for everyone.
Furniture Designs by Mats Theselius
By: Jessica Whittaker | 07/12/2009 | Home ImprovementMeaning and functionality describe Mats' furniture designs. Mats Theselius was a Swedish designer born in 1956 in Stockholm. His schooling had deep roots in designs and architecture from an early age. He studied industrial and architectural designs at the Industriel School. He completed his training in 1984, and became a...
Furniture Designs by Jean Prouve
By: Jessica Whittaker | 07/12/2009 | Home ImprovementJean Prouve was a magnificent designer and architect. Born in Nancy, Jean grew up under the stern ideals and vigour of Victor Prouve, his father, who was intimately submerged in art. Victor Prouve owned a collection of art that served as a school of art for designers and artists. It...
SLR
By: Jessica Whittaker | 07/12/2009 | AutomotiveSports cars or the racing cars have been a major focus of innovation in the automobile industry. Features that are now commonplace, such as disc brakes, turbochargers, and even safety belts, were first used on only the competition and the sport cars. Research in sport cars has contributed to a...
Recent Supercars
By: Jessica Whittaker | 02/10/2009 | AutomotiveThey are not just ordinary machines running on ordinary engines with ordinary looks. Supercars are exactly what their names suggest them to be. They are high profile, they're sleek, they're expensive and they're out there. Supercars were always the rulers of the roads and this year, it's no different. Right now,...
Furniture Designer Makes Furniture Designs
By: Jessica Whittaker | 02/10/2009 | Home ImprovementNiels Joergen Haugesen is one of the celebrated furniture designers who has achieved much success with a few furniture designs. His furniture designs were done in a way close to perfection, which earned Niels the nickname 'the minimal maximum' among his contemporary furniture designers. Niels Haugesen is mostly recognised for the...
Audi S8
By: Jessica Whittaker | 02/10/2009 | AutomotiveAudi S8 is a true dreamcar like other supercars. First introduced in 1998, the notion behind the production of the Audi S8 was simple - high power distributed appropriately through the trademark Quattro drive twinned with supreme luxury. And since then the S8 has delivered just that. Pure, unfiltered luxury is...
American Furniture Designers
By: Jessica Whittaker | 02/10/2009 | Home ImprovementLooking through the years at different American furniture designers, you will find a few who stand out. Milo Baughman was one; he liked to design modern furniture and was around the second half of the 20th century. Milo's designs were thought to be very advanced in thinking and progressive. Another person...
Italian Furniture Design
By: Jessica Whittaker | 23/09/2009 | Art & EntertainmentWhen you hear the word Italy, quality, fashion and durability comes in mind. Since time immemorial, furniture remains an item of prestige; more so if it was well designed and it camouflages the environment in which it is set. Italian furniture turns your house into a queen's lounge! Italian designers have...