THE GREAT DANES 09/17/08

Words  :: Sean Starke // Images  ::  Arne Jacobsen, Verpan, Midform, Erik Jørgensen, D-ZN

I think it’s only fair to begin by admitting my lack of editorial objectivity when it comes to Danish design. I love it.  My apartment is almost completely kitted in Danish Modern: everything’s sleek, teak, and functional.So it was with a keen, greedy eye that I watched for the Trade Counsel of Denmark’s epic exhibition of Danish design, Danish Way of Living, which came to Vancouver this winter.  The show was installed in the vast ex-Storyeum building in the heart of Vancouver’s design district in Gastown, and ran for six weeks. The work of revered furniture designer Erik Jørgensen headlined the show, which also showcased legends like Georg Jensen, Verner Panton and Arne Jacobson.  A rare and thorough collection showcasing the very best in applied arts from Denmark’s past and present, the exhibit was a master class in modernist and contemporary design.
The show’s opening night was a packed affair of industry professionals, architects, press, and design enthusiasts.  Over the next month and a half the show saw thousands come through – despite the fact the space was only open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.  Far from being a museum of original modernist pieces (ironically, these would now be “modernist antiques”), the exhibit consisted entirely of contemporary objects: both new designs and newly manufactured classics. This was not a retrospective of the past greatness of mid-century Danish design, but a profile of how the Danes are drawing from this illustrious past to continue to advance the aesthetic possibilities of functional design.  The exhibit obviously sought to promote the vibrancy of Danish design today.
The phenomenon known as Danish design is based not on a particular style but rather on a principle: simplicity of form and supremacy of function.  At its best this involves eliminating any excess material or ornamentation that doesn’t contribute to making an object function in a better or more interesting way, while still maintaining an austere beauty.  Although the roots of Danish modernism can be found in the 1920s and 30s, the so-called ‘golden age’ occurred in the post-war period of the 1950s and early 60s with designers like Jørgensen, Jacobsen and Panton innovating designs and manufacturing processes that changed an entire industry. The iconic status of Danish design arguably stems from the modernist furniture of this period, and the Danish Way of Living had some classic pieces.  Erik Jørgensen’s Flamingo chair, and Arne Jacobsen’s Swan and Egg chairs, for instance, are so representative of the Danish Modern aesthetic that they are instantly recognizable.
Although seeing these chairs up close (especially brand spanking new) is always a thrill, the exhibit offered some surprises too. Highlights included first-ever manufactures of two Verner Panton lamps – the Onion and the Spiral – as well as Erik Magnussen’s long-awaited Yoga chair.  Crafted from a single length of bended steel, the Yoga chair is a design that Magnussen says he has been working on since the early 70s.  Only now have materials and technology caught up to him and facilitated a final product that expresses his vision.  On the more post-modern tip, Ferm Living showed offerings of its unique and whimsical wallcoverings. The wallpaper patterns of trees and branches in a mellow, contemporary palette of grey-blues and pale greens were attractive enough, but the real hit was their vinyl-cut appliqués of crows and power lines (familiar imagery for the Vancouver crowd).
Here at elemente we believe that a show of this calibre serves as a good indicator of how sophisticated a city truly is – a kind of cultural thermometer, if you will. Maybe it’s all that rain but Vancouver can be a fickle friend, often giving a chilly reception.  But with the Olympics coming in 2010, Vancouver is keen to live up to its claim as a world-class cosmopolitan city. So how did the Danish Way of Living exhibit go down with Vancouverites?

For the Full Article, Pick up Issue 10 +

Pictures:

Details: