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Iconic examples of plywood furniture are on display in an ongoing exhibit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Plywood: Material, Process, Form offers visitors a quick history lesson on the durable material, highlighting the period from the 1920s through the 1950s.
Referred to as “a layercake of lumber and glue,” by Popular Science, plywood emerged during this period as a desirable material for avant-garde architects and designers interested in developing radical new forms that were functional and industrially produced. One of the earliest examples on view is Alvar Aalto’s Paimio chair (1931), whose form was inspired by Marcel Breuer’s earlier tubular steel chairs, but whose resiliency comes instead from the alluring curls Aalto shaped into the top and bottom of the seat. Other instantly recognizable objects include chairs and stools by Gerald Summers, Arne Jacobsen, Jean Prouvé, Sori Yanagi, and of course, Charles and Ray Eames, who created their own plywood molding apparatus known as the Kazam! machine, or magic box.
Not so familiar however, are the experiments with plywood the Eameses carried out for the United States Military during the Second World War. Since the use of metals was limited in wartime, plywood became an ideal material for making gliders, pilot seats, wheel doors, and boom sections because it was light and relatively cheap to manufacture. The U.S. Navy produced 150,000 plywood leg splints the Eameses designed to replace metal splints, which had been known to exacerbate injuries.
Though the exhibit ends with pieces that were designed over half a century ago, its relevance for today’s designers is undeniable. According to Juliet Kinchin, who curated the exhibit along with Aidan O’Connor, “Plywood is such a versatile medium that it has appealed consistently to generations of designers since the 1920s. It suits both functional unobtrusive forms, but also displays of curvaceous aesthetic brilliance.” Those brilliant organic forms made possible by this 20th century innovation—which can now be combined with a range of finishes and surfaces—are seen in the work of such contemporary masters as Ron Arad using cutting-edge materials including Corian, Nomex, carbon fiber, and yes, even plywood. Josephine Minutillo
Plywood: Material, Process, Form
February 2, 2011–Ongoing
The Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, third floor
Photo: Sori Yanagi. Butterfly Stool. 1956. Molded plywood and metal, 15 1/2 x 17 3/8 x 12 1/8" (39.4 x 44.1 x 30.8 cm). Manufactured by Tendo Co., Ltd., Tokyo. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the designer, 1958
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