Early to Mid Century Modernism in Furniture

EARLY TO MID CENTURY MODERNISM

EST. 1920 - 1945
The beginning of the 20th century saw a shift in furniture design from excessive ornamental to functional accessible designs. The retreat from tradition saw a new era, the age of Modernism. Although some designers had previously dabbled in the clean lines and geometry, modern furniture designers began to flourish around 1920.
The modernist style was established through great industrial innovations of the age in the fields of the artistic industry and cultural production, pushing the confines of what was imaginable. Modern and Contemporary furniture was the result of a combination of influences, such as the Bauhaus, technological advancements, and the availability of new materials, such as plastics, steel, and molded plywood.  

CHARLES EAMES
1907 – 1978
Charles Ormond Eames, Jr was born in 1907 in Saint Louis, Missouri. Eames married Ray, his second wife, in 1941 and together their work became known as ‘Charles and Ray Eames’. The Eames’ are among the most influential American designers of the 20th century. They are especially known for their contributions to architecture and furniture design.
Charles concentrated mainly on architecture and modern furniture design in the 50’s, pioneering ground-breaking technologies like his fiberglass and plastic resin chairs.

EERO SAARINEN

1910 - 1961
Finnish designer Eero Saarinen was educated in both France and the United States. His designs reveal a relationship to sculpture; as this was his original choice of art-form. Saarinen is now revered as an architectural master of the 20th century.
Although he is well-known for many different furniture designs, one of his most famous conceptions is the Womb Chair (red chair and ottoman pictured), in which the chair is enveloping a lap-like form. This design is one of the most recognizable representations of early- to mid- century Modernism.

EILEEN GRAY

1878 – 1976
Finnish designer Eileen Gray, initially an Irish lacquer artist, became a pioneer of modern furniture design during the 1920’s and 1930’s. She is known for her luxurious International-style lacquered furniture. One of her most famous pieces, the Bibendum chair (black chair pictured), incorporated a revolutionary practice of using tubular steel.

GINO SARFATTI

1912 – 1985
Italian designer Gino Sarfatti worked primarily in lighting. He created Arteluce, an international reference point for architectural lighting. 
Sarfatti manufactured over 400 luminaries and did extensive research into improvements in typology, materials, production technologies, light sources, and technical lighting.

GERRIT RIETVELD

1888 – 1964
Gerrit Rietveld, highly influenced by the De Stijl movement, began designing furniture while studying architecture. Rietveld built the Schröder house in 1924, a geometric and asymmetrical form that is thought of as the complete realization of the Modernist movement. As a furniture designer, he is most famously known for both the Red and Blue Chair and the Zig Zag chair (both pictured). 

LE CORBUSIER

1887 – 1965
Le Corbusier, a leader among the Modernist movement, trained and practiced primarily as an architect throughout his career. In 1928, he collaborated with designer Charlotte Perriand to develop a line of furniture including the adjustable chaise and leather arm chair (both pictured) which are still in demand for production today. 

MIES van der ROHE

1886 – 1996
Bauhaus member Ludwig Mies van der Rohe is not only a pioneer in the Modern Architecture movement, he is also known for his iconic line of furniture, including the classic and simple steel and leather Barcelona Chair (pictured) in which he used new industrial technologies of his day.
The combination of his commitment to Functionalism and instinct for creating a graceful form has made his furniture among the most enduring of the modern age.

MARCEL BREUER
1902 – 1981
Marcel Breuer, both a student and carpentry instructor at the Bauhaus, was a significant modernist furniture designer at the beginning of the movement. Breuer was interested in modular construction and tubular bent metal for his furniture designs, as seen in both his Cesca Chair and famous Wassily Chair (pictured).

References:

Furniture Modern. (nd). Furniture design in the age of modernism. Retrieved from
         http://www.furnituremodern.com/Modernism.aspx
Pile, J. (2009). The emergence of modernism. A History of Interior Design, 3^rd. Ed. 329-353)