What Is Scandinavian Design

 

What is Scandinavian Design?

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What is Scandinavian design? 8

 

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Abstract What is Scandinavian Design? Scandinavian Design has from the 1950s been known for its original, simple, innovative and functional design. This essay will show how history of war, collaboration and inuence of nature, has made Scandinavian design what it is. Research will consider the impact of Scandinavian design through analysis from the most prominent designers of the ve Nordic countries, Iceland, Norway Norway,, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, and their inuence within the design industry industry.. This essay also includes an Artefact. Ar tefact. The artefact is meant to show a vision of functionality and aesthetics, and give a feeling of where Scandinavian style is today today,, from a Scandinavian design student’s student’ s perspective.

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Contents Introduction

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Chapter I – What is Scandinavian design?

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Chapter II – The Scandinavian inuence

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-Alvar Aalto

   

-Bruno Mathsson -Arne Jacobsen

 

-Tias Eckhoff

Chapter III – Scandinavian design today    

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-Norway Says -Iceland

Chapter IV – The Artefact

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Conclusion

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‘In these remote countries a powerful art movement is forcing its way into general art

development of Europe and…will undoubtedly ere long, claim greater public attention.’  

-The Studio, London, 19011

 

Incorporated.. New York, 1982, p. 11 1 Abrams , Harry N. Scandinavian Modern Design 1880-1980, Incorporated

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Introduction With a population of 24,7 million2 the Nordic region, often referred to as Scandinavia, has during the 20th century produced a number of design icons that include Alvar Aalto, Bruno Mathsson,

Hans J. Wegner and Arne Jacobsen. They have not only shown they have a great eye for design, but also that the understanding of functional and human values is just as important. By experimenting with the use natural materials and nding functional solutions to every day needs the ve northern countries, Iceland, Norway, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark have together managed to make Scandinavian Design a well-known well-k nown expression. The balance between function and form, colour and texture, and the desire to experiment with materials, especially wood, has been very important for many of the Nordic designers. Nature has also been a major source of inspiration for designers like lik e Arne Jacobsen, Alvar Aalto, Jens Quistgaard and Tapio Tapio Wirkkala. Alvar Aalto, the architect, designer and sculptor said, ‘Man should not destroy his environment, but live in harmony with it, and preserve its natural wholeness’.3 The northern region has over the last ten centuries shared common roots in religion, culture and history. history. The rst chapter of this essay will focus on how Scandinavian design became an expression and what the characteristics are. The second chapter will introduce the reader to the distinguishing features of some s ome of Scandinavia’s Scandinavia’s most prominent designers, and discuss the origins of Scandinavian design. It will also discussand the their Scandinavian inuence style and the development of modernism. Important designers designs will also beon mentioned.

Scandinavian design has today a new generation of designers that compared to designers from the 1950s, have a broader world view. Today’ Today’s s designers and design agencies like, lik e, Björn Dahlström, Peter Opsvik and Norway Says, inuenced by their heritage and their predecessors, also get their modernistic pieces of design in production and achieve international attention. The third chapter will discuss the development of the Scandinavian style sty le and look into how today’s today’s designers’ are doing. 2 http://www.population.com 3 Alvar Aalto (film) – Director Piero Berengo Gardin, 57 min, Color,

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There is an inclusion of an artefact, which attempts to t o substantiate the notion of Scandinavian design through a physical object. The last chapter will focus on this Artefact. This will show a vision of functionality and aesthetics, and give a feeling of where Scandinavian style is today, today, from a Scandinavian design student’ student’s s perspective.

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Chapter I – What is Scandinavian design? The cold countries up north nor th have been through wars together, shared kings, language, and helped each other out through centuries. From the 1930s Scandinavian countries had a good reputation of experimenting with new materials and production technologies. Their understanding of natural materials and the aesthetics also gave them attention, but it was after World War II international success occurred. During the ninth Milan Triennale in 1951, Elizabeth Gordon (editor of House Beautiful), Olof Gummerus (director of the Finnish Society of Craft and Design) and Leslie Cheek Jr. (Director of the Museum of Fine Arts and chairman of the t he American Association of Museum Directors) had met and agreed on doing a travelling exhibition with Scandinavian design.  4 From 1954-1957 the Design in Scandinavia exhibition was touring United States and Canada and visited twenty-four Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland (Iceland was not museums.5 The collaboration between Norway, represented) was a success. Design in Scandinavia not only made Scandinavian design popular, popular, it also invented the Scandinavian style. Finland, not included in the Scandinavian Pennsylvania also got a new Scandinavian identity. identity. The so-called Golden Age of the 50s had begun. Widar Halén chief curator for the Museum of Decorative arts ar ts and Design in Oslo, suggests ‘The ‘ The idea of Scandinavian design was a huge marketing ploy’ and that ‘the Nordic countries needed to sell our goods to t o the rest of the world after the devastation of the Second World War. War. So we joined j oined  6

forces’.  TheFinland Scandinavian had different reasons mass-production. Norway and were hitcountries hard by World War II and werefor leftencouraging behind in the t he craft development, and needed to improve economy. economy. But in Sweden, who stayed neutral during the war the goal was to make commodities available for everyone. The idea of ‘more beautiful things for everyday use’   7   was appreciated in the Swedish Swedish market and soon became an international success. success. It is true that the Scandinavian designer’s designer’s had limits on the basis of bad economy. economy. Natural materials and functional shapes did help to reduce costs, and was easier to mass-produce. But what made Desig n –, Te Bard Graduate Center or Studies in the Decorative Arts and Yale University University press, New Haven and London,1998 4 Hawkins, H. Finish Modern Design

5 Ibid. 6 Rimmer, Louis. Te Sunday imes, june 25, 2005 Peter. Scandinavian Modern Design Desig n 1880-1980, Cooper Hewitt Museum, Harry N. Abrams Inc. New York, York, 1982, p.161, 166 7 Anker, Peter. 18

 

the Scandinavian design so sought-after was the designers’ ability to combine the aesthetic values with simple and functional functional solutions. An example of this is Antti Nurmesniemi’s Nurmesniemi’s Sauna stool. ‘A traditional and rustic form with a comfortable seat ideally suited to its purpose. The laminated wood seat is both sturdy and attractive, the striations str iations created by lamination becoming 8 an essential part of the design’.  One might say a cliché recipe of Scandinavian design is good developed craftsmanship, simple and functional solutions mixed with a good aesthetic sense.

8 Ibid. p. 182. 19

 

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Chapter II – The Scandinavian inuence The so-called Scandinavian style made a good impression in 1947 when glass, furniture, f urniture, home accessories and art were exhibited at Milan Triennial, Triennial, the famous design show in Milan 9. The

Triennials was a place where designs from all over the world were exhibited and compared and characterised by others. These shows were a key to international inter national success for designers like Hans J. Wegner, Pål Henningsen, Tarpio Wirkkala, Timo Sarpaneva and Tyra Lundgreen. Their work also got displayed in international i nternational magazines, like in 1949, when Hans J. Wegner’s Wegner’s The Chair was on the front cover of Time magazine. 10 But the marketing of the style started as early as the 1920s. One of the rst to introduce Scandinavian design was the Danish Frederik Lunning (creator of the Lunning prize) when he opened a rm in New York York in 1923, but it was Finland and Sweden who would start the importation of the Scandinavian style.

Alvar Aalto (1898-1976) By living close to the land with wit h thousands of lakes, a huge number of rivers, and heavy forest, the Finnish have developed a very special relationship with nature. After World War II Finland’s Finland’s designers had began creating a new modern style, building modern homes that would give them a new modern identity. identity. Alvar Aalto played a very ver y important role on the development of modernism and also on bringing modernism into Finland. In the 1920s Alvar Aalto, the great Finnish architect and designer and one of the pioneers of organic design, began experimenting with moulded plywood 11. Aalto grew up with his father, surrounded with the Finnish forests. He was very inspired by nature and believed that wood was ‘the form-inspiring, deeply human material.’ 12 In most of Aalto’s Aalto’s furniture and home designs it is easy to discover his interest and love for nature. From his organic Savoy vase, which can remind one of a puddle of water to his Lounge chair with its framework consisting of two pieces of bent plywood making the light and thin laminated body oat in the air. Sommar,, Ingrid, Scandinavian Style, Carlton Books Ltd, 2003, pp. 6, 7 9 Sommar

10 Ibid. 11 Design Handbook – Concepts, Materials, Styles – Charlotte & Peter Fiell, aschen, Köln, 2006, pg. 130 12 Ibid., pg.131 21

 

Together with his wife Aino Marsio, he found revolutionary ways of making chairs. How to connect vertical and horizontal elements had before been difcult, but by creating moulded wooden legs that could be attached directly to the seat, frames and support was no longer necessary, necessary, and the problem was solved. Inspired by Marcel Breuer’s Breuer’s light tubular metal furniture, Aalto made the Paimio armchair (193132)13, which is still manufactured today, today, and is probably his most famous piece of furniture design. The thin bent laminated wood with a scrolling end in the top and bottom makes the seat s eat light and airy. The arms and legs, two laminated wooden shapes formed as a closed loop give the chair a touch of softness. The furniture’ fur niture’s s lifestyle was just as important as the soft forms of the bent wood. Furniture was meant to be light and bright, and this was a very good example of this. The chair was originally made for the Paimio Hospital Aalto designed in the late 1920s. In a nomination catalogue for inclusion in the world heritage list it says, s ays, ‘the angle of the back of the t he chair was designed to optimise the best position for the sitting tuberculosis patient to breathe. 14

The plywood surface is also easy to clean.’ In 1935 Aalto established his company Artec Ar tec15. As early as in 1936 1936 he began began to export export furniture to the United States which had a lot of inuence on the young generation of American designers and architects. While architects prescribed his furniture, designers made similar designs on their own. It was simply easier to live with the new wooden Scandinavia-inspired furniture than with the tubular steel. The word modern now had a new meaning in America. As J. Stewart Johnson writes in the book American Modern, ‘Here was a middle ground, encompassing both the precision of the machine aesthetic and the nostalgic warmth war mth of handcraftsmanship. It had taken fteen years for modern design in America to reach this point, but it seemed nally to have come of age.’16 In 1937 Altos furniture was featured at an international exhibition in Paris, the year after at a solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1939 he designed the Finnish pavilion at the New York’s World’s Fair17. In 1947-48 Aalto designed the Baker Building in Massachusetts, tted with

13 Museum o Modern Art homepage - http://www http://www.moma.org/collection/br .moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A34&page_n owse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A34&page_number=3&template_ umber=3&template_ id=1&sort_order=1

14 Nomination o Paimio Hospital or Inclusion in the World Heritage List, National Board o Antiquities, Helsinki, 2005, p. 20

15 Raizman D. History o Modern Design, Laurence King Publishing Ltd., London, 2003, p. 202 York, 2000, p. 37 16 Johnson, Stewart J. American Modern, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, 17 Raizman, D. History o Modern Design, Laurence King Publishing Ltd., London, 2003, p. 202 22

 

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his own furniture, which lead to a growing interest of his furniture fur niture designs among the American people.18 Ingrid Sommar says that we have not before today, today, in the beginning of the 21th century, understood the great impact Alvar Aalto’s pioneer work has had on the furniture industry industr y. 19  Charlotte and Peter Fiell says that thanks to Aalto plywood got accepted as a material of the

avant-garde and Particularly in the United States Alto’s designs became so successful that the course of design changed towards organic modernism. 20

Bruno Mathsson (1907-1988) In Sweden another pioneer was manufacturing his designs in his family workshop. Bruno Mathsson was like Alvar Aalto into experimenting with bent and laminated wood, but he also considered the human body in his furniture designs. Function and comfort was important for Mathsson and his Eva armchair from 1934 was a perfect example of this. David Raizman says, ‘His 1934 armchair consists of a broad curving seat with webbing rather than upholstery whose sculptural contour conforms to Mathsson’s measurements measurements and studies for ideal sitting sitti ng positions for the human body for a variety of tasks, including simply “lounging”. 21

According to Jarno Peltonen, minimal structure and soft organic forms gave the chair a feel of lightness, and with the moulded plywood, it suited the sitter, sitter, and the chair also looked 22 comfortable . Mathsson is a good example of how the Scandinavian designers took a step away from the ‘strict functionalism (particularly strong in the case of the Nazis)’23 and introduced softness and natural materials. Hedvig Hedqvist, a Swedish design historian, said about Mathsson, ‘He is the last modernist whose history has not been told.’ 24 For the Americans Swedish Modern was a quite familiar expression, after a critic had coined it

18 Pulos, Arthur J. Te American Design Adventure , Massachusetts Institute o echnology, United United States, 1988, p. 79 19 Sommar Sommar,, I. Scandinavian Style –, Carlton Books Ltd, 2003, p. 88 20 Fiell, Charlotte & Peter. Design Handbook, Concepts, Materials, Styles –, aschen, Köln, 2006, p. 131 21 Raizman, David, History o Modern Design –, Laurence King Publishing Ltd., London, 2003, p. 203 Jarno. Scandinavian Modern Design 1880-1980 – Cooper Hewitt Museum,, Harry N. Abrams Inc. New York, York, 1982, pp. 119, 124. 22 Peltonen, Jarno. 23 Ibid. York imes, April 6, 2007 24 Wendy Moonan, New York

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at the Worlds Fair in 1939.25  Consumers seemed to accept accept the Swedish style and and the American market welcomed Swedish manufacturers to make furniture that easily could be shipped overseas. Bruno Mathsson among others now got his furniture fur niture into American showrooms. Dag Widman writes in the catalogue for the Bruno Mathsson: Architect and Designer exhibition in New York, York, 2007: ‘the conviction that a well-functioning and aesthetically appealing environment, with architecture at its core, would lead to an improved quality of life.’ 26 Looking at Aalto and Mathsson’s Mathsson’ s early success outside Scandinavia we see the impact Scandinavian design had on the development development of modernism. The Design in Scandinavian Scandinavian exhibition, which was one of the keys for international inter national success, was also a great source of inspiration for the modern design movement. George Nelson, which together with Charles and Ray Eames was one of the founders of American modernism, once said that the Eames chair would not have been possible without the Finns and Swedes.27 His statement shows that Scandinavian design has had an inuence on some of the world’ world’s s most prominent designers.

Arne Jacobsen (1902-1971) Denmark has during the 20 th century produced astonishing pieces of furniture designs like Hans J. Wegner’s The Chair or Verner Panton’s Panton chair. They have not only shown that they have the great taste for design, but also that they have developed some excellent craftsmanship. Because of their central location they have been able to combine their old traditions with new inuences from the outside world to create great new ideas. An example of this is Arne Jacobsen’s Jacobsen’s Ant chair. The development of the Danish craft tradition made it possible for Jacobsen to add three different bends to plywood. Inspired by Charles and Ray Eames, he

created a timeless design classic. Over 5 million have been produced worldwide. worldwide.28 The Ant chair, chair, or Myren (in Danish) from 1952 represents timelessness, timelessness, and is one of the most  century.. The chair is a great example of how Jacobsen used his love popular chairs of the 20th century of nature as a source of inspiration. The simple organic form working worki ng together with the complete feeling of lightness promised, above everything else, comfort. comfort . Along with the easy and practical way to stack made it especially popular for restaurant and other public areas. His organic Jarno. Scandinavian Modern Design 1880-1980 – Cooper Hewitt Museum, 25 Peltonen, Jarno.

Harry N. Abrams Inc. New York, York, 1982, pp. 119, 124.

York imes, April 6, 2007 26 Wendy Moonan, New York Massachusetts Institute o echnology, United States, 1988, p. 79 27 Pulos, Arthur J. Te American Design Adventure, Massachusetts 28 Milosch, Jane C. Icons o Design- Te 20  Century, Pretsel Verlag, Munich, Germany, p. 101 th

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timeless design later proved to defy modernisation as designers like Vico Magistretti was asked by the Danish furniture manufacturer Fritz Hansen to design a new wooden laminated chair. chair. It did not cast a shadow over the original at all29 and the beautiful piece of design still remains unharmed by the aging of time.

The Ant was later made with arms, a fourth leg, wheels and different back shapes, and in the 1980s the original shape was available in 16 different colours.30 From all the things he had done before, this appealed the most to the public. It was affordable, comfortable and beautiful to look at.

Tias Eckhoff (1926-) After the 1960s designers had began to specialize in wider design areas, much because of the interest in industrial design. The new Scandinavian Scandinavian crafts and design design climate made it possible possible for designers to release themselves from the industry and move production to independent

workshops31. This opened for the designer to explore and introduce modern aesthetics to new elds like household, ofce and sports equipment. Tias Eckhoff , the Norwegian potter, was one them who expanded his product line. From just making ceramics, he started to produce cutlery for the Danish producer George Jensen. His rst set of cutlery Cypress was a commercial success. ‘My thoughts behind the design were to develop a simple, and functional solution’ 32he said in an interview. The smooth handles with its thin edges united into the soft curved shapes makes a perfect balance between form and function. Even though Norway did not receive as much attention as Sweden and Finland during the 1940s d 1950s, they still were successful as a design nation. But Norway could not keep up with the rest of Scandinavia in development and sustain production, and they almost disappeared completely from international competition in the 1970s and 1980s.33 

29 Revision on; Jeremy Myerson looks into the pitalls o trying to evolve a design, which is already acknowledged as a classic. Sometimes it’s it’s better just to leave well alone, he says- Design Week December 10, 1999, p. 22

30 Milosch, Jane C. Icons o Design: the 20  Century, Prestel Verlag, Munic, Berlin, London, New York, 2004, p. 100. 31 Scandinavian Modern Design 1880-1980 – Cooper C ooper Hewitt Museum, editor: Margaret Donovan, published by Harry N. Abrams Inc. New York, 1982, p.184 32 Bøe, Al and Stemhaug, I. H. N. ias Eckhoff – en pioneer I norsk industridesign (a pioneer on Norwegian industrial design), Museum o Arts and Craf in th

Oslo, Gjøvik rykkeri, Gøvik, Norway Norway,, 1998

33 Nelson, Katherine E. New Scandinavian Design –Chronicle Books, San Francisco, Caliornia, 2004, p. 109 30

 

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However with some exceptions like Peter Opsvik’s ”Trip Trap” child’s chair, which became a export success for the Norwegian manufacturer Stokke34.

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Chapter III – Scandinavian Design today In the 1980s there was a down period for the Scandinavian style. In 1982 Mark Stevens said in his article about the Scandinavian Modern Design- 1880-1980 exhibition, ‘Today ‘Today Scandinavian modern, so popular in the 1950s, seems as stale as a motel room; it is Italian It alian designers who get the headlines. Perhaps the timing is right, therefore, for a fresh look at northern design.’ 35 But from the 1990s Scandinavia slowly began to re-establish themselves in the international market. In America Scandinavian furniture designs from Arne Jacobsen, Finn Juhl, Hans J. Wegner and Alvar Aalto got re-introduced and was suddenly made popular again by Magazines, Museums and dealers. In 1998, William L. Hamilton writes for the New York York Times ‘Scandinavian Modern, the kinder, kinder, gentler modernism, is back. The modern design community has seen the t he forest from the Mies.’36

Today we see a new up-and-coming generation of designers. Again Scandinavia has managed to attract international inter national audience. Design rms like Norway says, Design House Stockholm and the Danish company Design By Us has during the last couple of years achieved international inter national interest. Designers like Björn Dahlström, Peter Karpf and Peter Opsvik has also earned a good reputation internationally.. The question is how much the Scandinavian designers have changed during the internationally last fty years, and if there still is such a thing as Scandinavian design. When Widar Halén, was asked if the new Scandinavian generation of Scandinavian designers has continued to leverage the this notion of Scandinavian design, hedesign answered, ’they have to use these notions. You see especially in the minimal retro that looks backcontinued to the Golden Age of the ‘50s. A lot of ideas from that period have been taken up again, but then again, young designers have visited visit ed these ideas with renewed direction. They have a much broader world view now than (their (t heir predecessors did) fty years ago. And many of these designers have been educated abroad and have worked all over the world. They don’t consider themselves specically Scandinavian anymore. anymore. You You nd that a lot of them use these traditional notions of Scandinavian design on ironic and humorous ways, which is quite fun, really.’ really.’37 Halén here United States Edition, art section, s ection, p. 99, October 18, 1982 35 Stevens, Mark. Scandinavian Suprises, Newsweek, United 36 William L. Hamilton, Te New York imes, February 26, 1998 37 Widar Halén , New Scandinavian Design, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, Caliornia, 2004 pp. 237, 238

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suggests that today’s designers have taken an approach towards international design, using old traditions with new and using inspiration from abroad as well as from their predecessors to create their own style. Espen Johnsen argues in his essay, ‘The old modernist formula stating, “form follows function” has lost l ost some of its relevance as a frame fr ame of inspiration’ he says38 Johnsen indicates that Scandinavian designers today are inuenced by much more than modernism and heritage. Today Today one gets to choose its source of inspiration. Magazines, Internet, and media in general have opened up new doors, which allow people to nd information infor mation about basically anything they want. Things are not what it used to be, that is true. Today, Norway, which never was on the same level of recognition as Denmark, Sweden and Finland, has blossomed and become the new hype in Scandinavian design. Norway, Norway, ‘the little brother of Scandinavia’39 became independent in 1905, but has only recently recently managed to achieve achieve international success. More focus on the consumer product exports makes it easier for designers to achieve international recognition40. One example of this is the design rm Norway Says, which is now one of Scandinavian design’s design’s biggest success stories.

Ann-Tove Engenes, Scandinavian Surface, was asked Ann-Tove ask ed by Cabinet Maker magazine, ‘What do you think makes Norway an exciting design scene right now?’ she answered, ‘Norwegian design has its roots in the simple Scandinavian style, yet we are inuenced by our dramatic natural environment. We have steep mountain ranges, deep cut fjords and miles and miles of partly inaccessible wilderness. The geographical characteristics of our fellow Scandinavian countries are far milder, featuring rolling hills, woodland and large parts of cultivated farmland. far mland. Norway doesn’t have a history of aristocracy like Sweden and Denmark, which is probably reected in Norwegian design, it is the t he untamed little sister - blonde but dangerous!’41 Engenes here suggests that the Norwegians have taken up inspiration from their roots and shaped the Scandinavian style into something of their own.

38 Johnsen, Espen. Scandinavian Design Beyond the, Arvinius Förlag, Stockholm, 2003, p. 133 39 Nelson, Katherine E. New Scandinavian Design –Chronicle Books, San Francisco, Caliornia, 2004, p. 107 40 Ibid. Natural talents, Cabinet Maker (Magazine), CMP Inormation Ltd. September 14, 2007, p. 14 41 Interview: 100% Norway, Natural 35

 

Norway Says In 2000 Norway Says was the rst to represent Norway at the Triennial in Milan since 1960.42  The design collective containing of Torbjørn Torbjørn Anderssen, Andreas Engesvik, Espen Voll and Hallgeir Homstvedt has since then won numerous awards and is today working with national and international clients. Linda Hales, the Washington Post’s Post’s design critic wrote this about Norway Says’ work exhibited in Washington (2002), ‘Stylish laminated plywood tables and slim-line chairs were set out on a woolly rug as white as Nordic snow. Strips of pale birch had been bent and folded into neat magazine racks and slatted chairs. A writing desk was made from a thin plank turned up at the edges, with steel rods for legs. Though dwarfed by the scale of the cavernous Great Hall, the delicate furniture lost none of its simple, s imple, Scandinavian elegance.’43 This indicates some of the qualities Norway Says has inherited from their predecesso predecessors. rs. Even though critics often seem to compare today’s today’s Scandinavian designs with the old traditional ones, the designers do not design to show they are Scandinavian. Espen Voll said in an interview with Espen Johnsen, ‘We do not produce our Products with an aim to make them more Norwegian, or Scandinavian, either. either. The thought never enters my head. I suppose it is more of a question of a cultural attachment one just has without reecting over it. But the notion of lling what we regard as a rather empty Norwegian design concept, is a motivating motive.’ 44  This indicates how little today’ today’s s designers are bound bound to any tradition.

42 Northern Exposure, Design Week, August 18, Centaur Communications Ltd., 2000, p. 24 43 Linda Hales, Te new ambassadors o design ; Diplomats turn Washington Washington into a showplace or the holidays, h olidays, Te International Herald ribune, ribune, des. 24, 2002, p. 8

44 Johnsen, Espen, Scandinavian Design Beyond the Myth , Arvinius Förlag, Stockholm, 2003, p. 138 36

 

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Iceland It took a while for Iceland to be included in Scandinavian design. One of the reasons reasons for this was that they did not have a society of crafts and design nor a decorative art museum. The cultural indifference amongst the political council caused a slow development in that area45. From the 1980s to early 1990s Iceland’s rst generation of design students actually had to study abroad

because of lack of university-level education46. But today Iceland has a new enthusiasm for design with a new Academy of Arts, established in 2001 and total freedom to experiment. The island has one of the world’s most active volcanic areas, and has enormous glacial expanses. Anja Llorella Oriol says in the book New Scandinavian Design, ‘Many Icelandic designers are inuenced by the stark contrasts of Iceland’ Iceland’s s natural surroundings. This clearly expressed in their use of unusual textiles and raw material’ 47 The Icelandic designers has a reputation of being different, and is in many ways starting from scratch, without much design history.. But the late development has given the Icelandic designers an advantage; room for history experimentation. Halldór Gíslason, Dean of of the Department of Design and and Architecture, Architecture, says: ‘Established Scandinavian institutions all have the problem of a long legacy of Scandinavian culture. That’s That’s what makes Icelandic design so different from Scandinavian design. We aren’t stuck with any local tradition.’48  The free Icelandic designers designers like Gudrun Lilja Gunnlaugsdottir Gunnlaugsdottir,, Olafur Omarsson and Ragnheieur esp Sigureard Sigureardettir ettir are on their way towards success in the t he international market.

45 Arnadottir, Arndis S.Scandinavian Design Beyond the Myth , Arvinius Förlag, Stockholm, 2003, p. 87 46 Nelson, Katherine E. New Scandinavian Design, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, Caliornia, 2004, p. 161 47 Llorella Oriol, A. New Scandinavian Design, Design, teNeues Publishing Group, Kempen, 2005, p. 10 48 Nelson, Katherine E. New Scandinavian Design, Chronicle Books, San Francisco, Caliornia, 2004, p. 161 38

 

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Chapter IV – The Artefact Scandinavian design has inuenced an entire design generation, and is still an inspiration for many successful designers, as well as young design students. The artefact is not a result of a

year of research on Scandinavian design, but a result of growing up in Scandinavia. Using a made up term ‘What you think is what you design’ the artefact will express a vision of aesthetics, form and function. The water jug is inspired by the peaceful winters along the west coast, south of Sweden. The quite snow lled roads, surrounded by steady white trees with only the silent wind as a source of movement. As mentioned the design comes from the heart, and not from research. research. It is a vision, not a product made from a recipe. This artefact proves that Scandinavian design still has preserved some of its traditional values. The inuences from nature has in this case been important, and given the design a natural look. The simple white porcelain body with the soft lines gives the jug a touch of calmness. The light wooden grip surrounding the midsection of the jug expresses purity of the materials, and gives a feeling of lightness. The cut-off top with the curved point reects a natural form in the simplest way.. The wooden grip is easy to hold. The curved point secures hand from slipping when poring way water. The body is made from a casting shape that makes it possible to make unlimited copies. It also makes it easy to produce.

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Conclusion There are three words that repeatedly seem to show up in most books and articles: functional, simplistic and aesthetic, whether the book is new or old. Even though these words does not describe every Scandinavian design, it pretty much describes the overall impression one gets, by looking into the Scandinavian style. You You nd Scandinavian inuence in work from many prominent designers like Charles and Ray Eames and George Nelson.  It seems like l ike natural surroundings have inuenced many of the Scandinavian designers. Charlotte and Peter Fiell said in Intra magazine, 2003, ‘in the 20th century the t he majority of Scandinavian designers, from Alvar Aalto and Arne Jacobsen to Jens Quistgaard and Tapio Tapio Wirkkala adopted forms inspired by the natural world rather than the machine, and in doing so pioneered the concept of organic modernism.’ 49  It might be more difcult to differentiate Scandinavian design with other designs today, today, still the Scandinavian designers have clearly maintained the old traditions, but with an original approach. Today one is drowned in information infor mation through advertisement, basically telling you what to think and like. The world has changed a lot since the 1950s and in many cases design is now based upon research and solving problems, problems, rather than just making a beautiful piece of design, which is a good thing. It seems like the Scandinavians again have managed to create their own style, with new thoughts and new ideas, just like 60 years ago. By using inuences from abroad with their

own inherited style their fresh new ideas are puts improving a modern twist. Pattieand Barron from the Evening Standard (London) (London) it this everyday way,, ’Call life way it a with per fect perfect marriage of form function, with a complete disregard for fashion. Designers strive for the iconic, not for something of the moment’50 Barron here indicates that the Scandinavians are designing for their own time and is not too much affected by the commercial market. Scandinavian design has always been appreciated among the critics, and still has the ability to win consumer hearts. Björn Dahlström says ‘I’m sure that culture and heritage does come through in some way in all the things one does.’ 51  Looking at Scandinavia designs’ designs’ today we 49 Charlotte and Peter Fiell . Intra- Interiors or Designers and Architects, Gale Group, Inc., march 1, 2003, p. 33 50 Pattie Barron - Northern exposure, Te Evening Standard (London), Associated Newspapers Ltd. Oct 29, 2003, p. 40 51 Conran, . & Fraser, M, Designers on Design, Conrad Octopus Limited, London, 2004, p. 90 44

 

still see the simple solutions, s olutions, functional thinking and the good aesthetic sense inherited by their predecessors. Some things never change.

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Bibliography Books Conran, T. T. & Fraser Fraser,, M, Designers on Design, Conrad Octopus Limited, London, 2004, p. 90 Bueno, Patricia. Chairs Chairs Chairs, Artium Ar tium Group 2004, Barcelona Donovan, Margaret Scandinavian Modern Design 1880-1980 – Cooper Hewitt Museum, Harry N. Abrams Inc. New York, 1982 Nelson, Katherine E. New Scandinavian Scandinavian Design –., Chronicle Books, Books, San Fransisco, California, 2004 Llorella Oriol, A. New Scandinavian Design –teNeues Publishing Group, Group, Kempen, 2005 Fiell, Charlotte & Peter. Peter. Design Handbook – Concepts, Materials, Styles –, Taschen, Köln, 2006 Harrison Beer, Beer, E. Scandinavian Design – Objects of a Life Style, McGraw-Hill Reyerson Ltd, Torinto, 1975 Sommar, Ingrid. Scandinavian Style –Fiell, Charlotte & Peter. Scandinavian Design, Taschen GmbH, Köln, 2002 Raizman David, History of Modern Design,Laurence King Publishing Ltd., London, 2003 Stritzler-Levine, N. Finish Modern Design –, The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Stritzler-Levine, Decorative Arts and Yale Yale University press, New Haven and London,1998 Mount, Christopher. Christopher. Arne Jacobsen, Chrionicle Books LLC, California, Califor nia, 2004 Halén, Widar and Wickman, Kerstin. Scandinavian Design Beyond the Myth, Arvinius Förlag, Stockholm, 2003 Gaynor,, Elizabeth. Finland Living Design –, Rizzoli International Pubications, Inc., New York, 1984 Gaynor Pulos, Arthur J. The American Design Adventure –Massachusetts Institute of Technology Technology,, United States, 1988

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Urbanelli,Elisa. American Modern –Harry N. Abrams, Abrams, Inc., New York, York, 2000 Bøe, Alf and Stemhaug I. H. N. Tias Eckhoff , En pioneer i norsk industridesign (a pioneer on Norwegian industrial design) –., Museum of Arts and Craft in Oslo, Gjøvik Trykkeri, Gøvik, Norway, Norway, 1998 Asenisio, Pasco, Cuito, Aurora. Aurora. Alvar Aalto –, teNeues, Grácas Anman. Anman. Sabadell, Spain, 2002

Articles, Catalogues and Magazines Revision on; Jeremy Myerson looks into the pitfalls of trying to evolve a design, which is already acknowledged as a classic. Sometimes it’s better just to leave well alone, he says, Design Week December 10, 1999, p. 22 Leonardo: Vol. Vol. 5, No. 4. - Rod Hackney The MIT Press, autumn, 1972 Nomination of Paimio Hospital for Inclusion in the World Heritage List, National Board of Antiquities Helsinki 2005 (www.nba./tiedostot/c760469d.pdf (www.nba./tiedostot/c760469d.pdf) Interview: 100% Norway, Norway, Natural talents, Cabinet Maker (Magazine), CMP Information Ltd. September 14, 2007 The Nordic Transparency Transparency –Alvar –Alvar Aalto, cat. Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam 15 dec. 1978 t/m 28 jan. 1979 Fiell, Charlotte and Peter - Intra- Interiors for Designers and Architects, Gale Group, Inc., march 1, 2003,

Design Week, December 10, 1999 Thomson, Henrietta & Aastad, Thomas. 100% Norway (Catalogue), ( Catalogue), Royal Norwegian Embassy, Embassy, London, 2008 Northern Exposure, Design Week, August 18, Centaur Communications Ltd., 2000, p. 24

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Linda Hales, The new ambassadors of design ; Diplomats turn Washington into a showplace for the holidays, The International Herald Tribune, Tribune, des. 24, 2002, p. 8 Pattie Barron - Northern Norther n exposure, The Evening Standard (London), Associated Newspapers Ltd. October 29, 2003, p. 40

Internet Louise Rimmer, Rimmer, The Sunday Times, june 25, 2005: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/  scotland/article536870.ece Wendy Moonan, The new York Times, April 6, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/arts/design/06anti.html?_r=1&scp=11&sq=s http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/arts/design/06 anti.html?_r=1&scp=11&sq=swedish%20 wedish%20 modern&st=cse William L. Hamilton, The New York York Times, February 26, 1998 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E2DD133E http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?r es=9D01E2DD133EF935A15751C0A9 F935A15751C0A96E958260&se 6E958260&se c=&spon=&pagewanted=1

Museum of Modern Art homepage: http://www http://www.moma.org/collection/brow .moma.org/collection/browse_results.php? se_results.php?criteria= criteria= O%3AAD%3AE%3A34&page_number=3&template_id=1&sort_order=1

Media Alvar Aalto – Director Piero Berengo Berengo Gardin, Gardin, 57 min, Color. Color. http://www.rolandcollection.com/  lms/?prm=a12-b101-c696-d0-e0

Cover:   http://www.etsy.com/shop/madebyanna

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