June 2004

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President's Corner

What Style is That?

Last night I saw the new indie film, "My Architect", by Nathaniel Kahn, the illegitimate son of the great architect Louis Kahn. It's about Nathaniel's search for the meaning of his father's life --- as a designer and as a person. Lou taught at the University of Pennsylvania and practiced in Philadelpia. He created only a few, but remarkably famous, buildings. The Salk Institute in La Jolla is one example you may know. He influenced a whole generation of architects, yet when he died in 1974 he was alone and ½ million in debt. One of my architecture professors worked for Lou in the 60's, on the capital complex in Bangladesh, so I heard a lot about Lou's theories of design and architecture. A true suffering artist, Lou was cantankerous and demanding of those around him. Eventually he "found his own style" (that was the big thing in the 20th Century you know -- to "find your own style.") but because of his personality he didn't get to build very many buildings. In fact Lou's greatest designs were only done in the last 10 years or so of his practice, after he was in his 60's. Several of the famous contemporaries that Nathaniel interviewed, I. M. Pei, Philip Johnson, Robert Stern, etc., said that Lou Kahn would have had many more commissions built if he had been more flexible and diplomatic. I. M. Pei said it best I think, when he indicated that if the client disagrees with his idea, he just smiles and tries again another day.

I've also been thinking about the renewed interest in Arts & Crafts style furniture --- paralleling the resurgence of popularity of A&C style building design. Furniture styles, as with the other arts, often follow after similarly popular styles in architecture. One has to ask, what is it about this style that people like? In an uncertain world of terrorist violence perhaps it makes them feel comfortable because of its somewhat modern, but warm (read familiar) human features. It's not as hard edged as the "way out there stuff." In the world of studio furniture though one must ponder what principles one wants to use to create one's own style. Certainly Krenov (an equally cantankerous artist) has "found his own style." And since A&C furniture is all the rage, you may well be influenced by it, along with everything else that is happening in the world around you.

Perhaps the key is to take your overall ordering principles from a great designer you admire. For example, Lou Kahn preached that you should be true to the nature of the materials you're using: Don't ask a brick to be expressed as anything other than the heavy, solid, supporting material that "it wants to be." But maybe we should also take cues for stylistic nuances, not from another designer, but from nature, or from your own inner vision of what feels right at this time and place. Lastly, be prepared to modify your design (that you may think is your masterpiece) to fit your client's (spouse's?) suggestions on what will work for them. This approach will give you greater success at actually getting your stuff built! Just don't be so crotchety that you dont take a little input from your clients (including from yourself.)

If you're interested in what others have been doing in the studio furniture field, the Furniture Society has an excellent book they published in 1999 called "Furniture Studio: The Heart of the Functional Arts", available for $30.00 from www.furnituresociety.org, but hurry there's only a few left. It has many photos and articles on what other furniture designers are doing.



Craig Mineweaser

President