Untitled - Bernhardt design

Who will be the next Eames?
It has been pretty quiet across the American furniture design industry, but some of the creativity of the fifties seems to be resurfacing. Is the next Eames about to make his appearance?
By Renske Schriemer
Each and every one of these is an irreverent icon. Take the Lounge Chair by designer couple Charles and
Ray Eames, the Ball Clock by George Nelson or Harry Bertoia’s Wire Chair. Halfway through the previous
century, the Americans made their mark in the history of furniture design with the classics from the prime
of their lives. Right up to the present, Eames Bucket Chairs are the fashion in a contemporary interior. And
that is good because America is still living on the success it achieved more than fifty years ago. It became
pretty quiet after the festive days of the Mid-Century Modern period. It was the Europeans who dominated
the world of design in the decades that followed.
Nevertheless, Americans are still very interested in design. Miami plays host to the world’s largest design
fair each year. The Museum of Modern Arts (MoMA) houses one of the best collections of furniture in the
world, and Moss Gallery in New York is famous for its knack for new European design.
Design critic and former director of the Design Museum in London, British-born Alice Rawsthorn is also
waiting for news from the United States. In a column in the New York Times she wonders aloud: Where have
all the great American designers gone? Whereas Americans are quite capable of holding their own when it
comes to fashion (Marc Jacobs) and computers (Apple), for example, they are conspicuously absent when
it comes to furniture design. Rawsthorn concludes that American furniture manufacturers no longer dare to
experiment and the training programs are either too artistic or too oriented towards the industry.
Are there really no American designers out there, or are we just not seeing them? Jerry G. Helling, president
of the American label, Bernhardt Design, admits that it is difficult to compete with European manufacturers. “Furniture design is not that fashionable in America. A visit to the ICFF fair in New York leaves you
nonplussed by the sheer volume of mediocre and extremely solid design.” That notwithstanding, there are
leading figures as well, he underscores and then goes on to enumerate potential successor to Eames: Yves
Behar, Jeffrey Bernett, Shelly Shelly, Nolen Niu and Marc Thorpe. Can they measure up to their predecessors, like Charles and Ray Eames, in terms of form and style? The predilection for timelessness is alive in
most of them. Helling thinks that is born of necessity, considering the fact that furniture design is absolutely
not snazzy in the United States, as indicated earlier.
Take the work of New York designer and architect, Marc Thorpe. He presented his timeless Area tables
in Milan, made of wood; a touch of organic, yet architectural. Certainly very Mid-Century Modern. “As an
American designer, Eames is inherited in the blood,” says Thorpe, laughing. As far as he is concerned, that
is not only true of the design itself, but also of the coming into existence thereof. Eames, Nelson and Bertoia
carried out their work in close collaboration with manufacturers. That went well then, and it still goes well
these days. When all is said and done, we cannot pride ourselves on an age-old culture, but we cannot but
talk about the melting pot we just happen to be. That is our identity. Looking back in retrospect, it is obvious that we perform best in times of great cultural exchange.
Thorpe equally observes that he is far behind his European counterparts. “Out here, you graduate from the
academy with a towering student loan and that leaves you with no choice but to accept the fist job at the
design department that comes your way”. That is why he is glad manufacturers like Bernhardt Design, Knoll
and Herman Miller carefully allow a certain degree of latitude for experimenting. Thus, two programs are
run by Bernhardt for young designers where the ties with young European talents are strengthened. This
is all done in the hope of enabling American designers to once again have a foothold in Europe, as was the
case in the successful fifties.
Thorpe appears to be succeeding; he currently collaborates with the Belgian Quinze & Milan. His fellow
designers are following in his wake. Roy McMakin from Seattle for instance, recently worked for the British
Established & Sons, and Todd Bracher (New York) designed a pouf for the new Italian label, SKITSCH. It also
works the other way around. Helling announces enthusiastically, “We are going to be working together with
Joost van Bleiswijk and Kiki van Ejk.” There is therefore no shortage of candidates, and who knows, the
passport of the next Eames might just well have “Dutch” as the bearer’s nationality.
Captions from page 138
Right top
Charles and Ray Eames and a few other designs: La Chaise, the Organic Chair, the Eames
Chair and Wire Chair DKK (from left to right)
Top left
The New York architect Marc Thorpe, presented his ‘Area’ tables at Bernhardt Design in
Milan.
Top right
The New York designer, Jeffrey Bernett designs a great deal and also wins numerous
awards in America. The Remy chair did well in Milan.
Captions from page 139
Top left
Bernhardt Design’s Jerry Helling, who discovered the Indonesian American Shelly Shelly,
refers to as “a promise for the future.”
Middle left
Does he have Eames potential with the Zucca pouf? The American, Todd Bracher, was one
of the designers of the new Italian furniture brand, SKITSCH in Milan.
Top right
Roy McMakin from Seattle thinks of himself as an artist, but others see more of a
furniture designer in him than an artist. Established & Sons knew how to entice him to
the cautious start of the collection. This chest of drawers was on display in Milan.
Middle Right
A chair from the Another Kountry series, also by Roy McMakin for Established & Sons.
BottomFrom Yves Behar: the Fly bench (Bernhardt Design).
Translation from Eigenhuis and Interieur Magazine, August 2009