In 2011, the McNay Art Museum presented a unique retrospective
entitled George Nelson: Architect,
Writer, Designer, Teacher.
This exhibition showcased the work of one of the most creative minds of
the 20th century, but art (in the traditional sense) was not the
central theme. Instead of
paintings, there were chairs and normal household items lauded for their modern
design. These modernized objects
functioned in the exact same way as their traditionally designed counter-parts,
but the form evolved to suite the changing tastes of modern society. The minimalist concept, shapes, colors
and textures were at the forefront for Nelson and are evident in his work.
Vitra Design Museum Archive
My first impression of the exhibit was negative, however. I went hoping to see something closer
to the “art” mediums I’m comfortable with: painting, sculpture, printmaking,
drawing and the like. After a
while, I started to imagine how I would live differently if these objects
surrounded me on a daily basis.
They are “fine” without being ornate and fabricated not handcrafted. This hypothetical scenario made me
crave a lifestyle surrounded by normal objects that were unique enough to be
gallery-worthy and the exhibition was doing something more than just being stagnant
and pretty…it was changing my mind about my stuff. Do the objects
in my house have artistic merit? The MOMA in New York City has a floor dedicated to the design
of everyday objects from the past.
Many of these objects were not expensive or unique during their heyday,
but now are seen as bits of history and art. I wondered which objects I currently own would be worthy of
a display case.
In our conversation on the way home from the McNay, my wife and I
agreed to disagree about the “object as art” scenario, but she humored me. A few weeks after the exhibition, she
decided to buy me a knock-off George Nelson Spindle
Clock for my studio (a legit edition runs upwards to $600). I put a battery in it, set the time,
hung it on the wall and view it as a piece of sculpture. Very rarely do I actually use it to
tell time, but the gears are ticking away above me at this moment. The lack of numbers hinders a quick translation
of the time and the hands can get lost in the shapes of the clocks
tendrils. So, is this a clock or
sculpture? Both?
This isn’t a scientific assessment, but many people are currently
unable to tell the time by a traditional big hand/little hand layout. They forgo the internal math for the
quick digital reading of time on their cellphones. This is like owning chairs that are not meant to hold a
human posterior or a kitchen plate that is never meant to hold food. In many of these modern objects (not
just by George Nelson) seem to be 80% form and 20% function. Surprisingly, in my imagined, idealized
home set-up, I’m okay with this.
