--------------------~-----~~ --------~1 Museum of Mo ern An No. 99 ~I, New York, N.Y. 10019 Tel. 245·3200 Cable: Modernart FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, September 26, 1967 ", PRESSPREVIEH: Monday,~September 25, 1967 11 a.m, - 4 p.m. , ,.oish chair made from poured urethane foam, a French chaise covered with a nylon ~~tch fabric, jewelry of plastic and brass, new lighting fixtures from here and 'troad, a hand microphone, a hair dryer, a telephone and wall and desk clocks are '~og the seventy objects on view in the exhibition Recent Acquisit.ions: Design ':;'lIection at The Museum of Modern Art from September 26 through January 1. The 'nOibition was organized by Arthur Drexler, Director of the Museum's Department of MoMAExh_0840_MasterChecklist ,l:chitecture and Design. The majority of these objects, acquired during the past !';ur years, >lere des igned in the 60's. The fe,~ older pLe ces include a Tiffany rue, an Art Nouveau couch by Hector Guimard and printed silk designed by Matisse. Apart from their functional qualifications, Arthur Drexler says, the objects ~ the Design Collection are chosen according to two criteria: quality and his tori- :,1 significance. "An object is chosen for its de.sign quality because it is thought :, embody formal ideals of beauty •.•• Significance is a more flexible evaluation. :t applies to objects .,hich mayor may not be beautiful but oh Lch have contributed ~ the development of design .•.. The visitor to this exhibition ui11 be able to fIClde for himself whethe'r objects are interesting for quality or historical signi- (leance, or for both ... "Gunnar Aagaard Andersen's chair, made of poured urethane foam, can be regarded " a Soft sculpture in oh i ch , incidentally, one can sit. Part of its significance :. technical: the underlying idea is that certain plastics promote a free and highly !~ividual approach to the fabrication of furniture .... There is no reason for its 'Jpe to imitate forms achieved by more conventional means, and Andersen's design :-'ctradicts ideas of 'good taste' as well as good craftsmanship: The esthetic 'l>Jnterparts of his chai r are to be found in much recent painting and sculpture, t'ther than design, and it remains to be seen if further developments in the use of )1 ' .anics will fo l Lou his lead." (more) . ' -2- A strong contrast to Andersen's chair is Olivier Mourgue's chaise. "At first ,~t its simplicity relates it to earlier modern furniture, but there is an ~t.nt difference: Mourgue has chosen to conceal structure and technique rather I.~ reveal and elaborate it, The beauty of his design does not depend on our IlI"'lngho:;it ';as made." setween these two extremes there are several alternative approaches to design: t "a-Ity often co-exists with variety, and in appliances and other useful objects as I 1.1108 in furniture, forms are often elaborated beyond the requirements of function, i :s,rodition,MoMAExh_0840_MasterChecklist there is a great variety in the design of lighting fixtures. "Indeed, I:Ilt r.hoiceoffered the public today is finally beginning to meet the demand," 11', i:lrex1erconcludes. The importance of industrial design in the program of the Museum has been "c~gnized since its founding in 1929. The 'Design Collection had its origins in :~ famous Machine Art exhibition of 1934 and now consists of more than 5,000 ~J~tt., Since 1964 more than 230 objects, including architectural models and r''''lngs,posters and furniture selected from the collection have been continuously '~,iaw in the Philip L. Goodldn Galleries for Architecture and Design which opened l....~year, This collection, unique in the world, is augmented regularly by recent work r4 by objects needed to fill historical gaps. When the Museum's International I:~dy Center opens later this year, virtually all the objects not on public exhibi- ::~ ~i11 be available for viewing and study by scholars, designers, students and the :tttrestedpublic. The Museum's extensive collection of graphic design, excluded from the current "',;u1aitionshow, will be presented in a major exh IbLt Lon opening January 23, 1968. "~r·"'hl tectura1 Fantasies: Drawings from the Museum Collection, which opened July 27, • .~, b I ; een extended and will remain on view through mid-October. '.*************************************** .~"'tographs and additional information available from Elizabeth Shau , Director, and ,'trlciaB. Kaplan, Associate, Press Services, Department of Public Information, The '''I<!~ of Modern Art, 11 Hest 53 Street, Ne\'1York, N.Y. 10019. 245-3200. eMuseum ofMOilern14.r : ~ New York, N.Y. 10019 Tel. 245-3200 Cable: Modernart .RECENT ACQUISITIONS: DESIGN COLLECTION THE MUSEUH OF HODERN P.R.T,NEH YORK Sep~el!lbe:r26 ~ January 1, 1968 Hall Label s:nce the Good\'JinGallery opened in 1964 an important part of the Huseum's Design Collection has been continuous lyon viel'. lew acquisitions are sho\'Jnfrom time to time, but the Gallery's limited capacity MoMAExh_0840_MasterChecklist ~revents substantial additions or changes. Until it can be enlarged, current Icquisitions \'Jillbe shown in separate exhibitions such as this, at intervals of ~ee or four years. , Almost all the objects shoun here uere acquired since 1964. Apart from their functional qualifications, two criteria determined their selection: quality and ~18torical significance. An object is chosen for its design quality because it is thought to embody formal ,! tdeals of beauty. Tuo uell-knoun examp l.es from the past are Marcel Breuer's ~4ntilevered steel chair of 1928, and Hies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair of 1929; :heir particular kind of elegance has not yet been surpassed. llgcificance is A more flexible evaluation. It applies to objects uhi.ch mayor may tot be beautiful ·but which have contributed to the development of design. An t.(ampleis the 1917 pdnted \"Ioodchair by Gerrit Rietveld. It is neither comfortabl tJ>r"beautiful" in any ;·lidelyaccepted sense; and yet it embodies design principles :~t~still play A decisive role in much current \"Iork. 7r~ visitor to this exhibition will be able to decide for himself whether objects r.e interesting for quality or historical significance, or for both; but certain (more) -2- .xamples may be mentioned here. cunnar Aagaard Andersen's chair, made of poured urethane foam, can be regarded as a 14ft sculpture in which, incidentally, one Can sit. Part of its significance is tsehnical: the underlying idea is that certain plastics promote a free and highly ~ividual approach to the fabrication of furniture. Improved techniques of control g~ght ultimately make it possible to pour an object without benefit of a mold, and gO repeat or vary its shape at will. There is no reason for its shape to imitate MoMAExh_0840_MasterChecklist ~ achieved by more conventional means, and Andersen's design contradicts ideas Qf "good taste" as "le11 as good craftsmanship. The esthetic counterparts of his thair are to be found in much recent painting and sculpture, rather than design, and It remains to be seen if further developments in the use of plastics will follow ~!s lead. \liatpeople tl0uld agree that Olivier Mourgue's chaise is beautiful. At first sight ,ta simplicity relates it to earlier modern furniture, but there is an important ,I 31fference: Mourgue has chosen to conce~l structure and technique rather than nveal and elaborate it. The beauty of his design does not depend on our knouing !<:1I it was made , ~tveen these two extremes, the visitor uill observe several alternative approaches t) deaign. Purity often co~exists uith variety. In appliances and other useful ~~Jtcta as well as in furniture, forLls are often elaborated beyond the requirements I! function. There is also g~eater variety to be found in the design of lighting f!.. d . 11 •-.ures J and indeed the choice offered the public to ay 1.S fina yb ag i.nm.ng . to- "'t the demand. Arthur Drexler t, :etWuseum of Modern Art } ;;:eet• NeW York, N.Y. 10019 Tel. 245-3200 Cable; Modernart RECENT ACQUISITIONS: DESIGN COLLECTION September 26 - January 1, 1968 Checklist FURNITURE 1. Gunnar Aagaard Andersen Chair. 1964 Urethane foam Executed at Dansk Polyether Industri, Denmark Gift of the designer MoMAExh_0840_MasterChecklist 2. Joe Colombo Chair. 1964 Bent p Lyuood Mfr.: Kartell Company, Italy Gift of the manufacturer 3. Hector Guimard Couch.- ca. 1898 Wood and tooled leather Designed for Castel B~rang"r, Paris Greta Daniel Design Fund 4. Danny Ho Fong Chaise. 1966 Rattan over steel frame Mfr.: Tropi-Cal, California Gift of the manufacturer 5. Poul Kjaarholm Foldi~g Stool. 1961 Chromec ~teel and cxhide MEr. : F. Lunnfng , Denmark ~tft of Ceo"g J~nsen,: Inc., New York, and Greta Daniel Design Fund 6. Y,jU Kukkapu~o ChaLr , 1965 Wood a~J leather Mfr. : Hammy Oy , Fin:and Gift of.Paul Secon, Inc., New York 7. Clement Meadmore Cha Lr , :963 Chromed eteel and leather Mfr.: Leif W2~smann Associates, Inc., New Yo~k Gift of David lihit"~y 8. Olivier Mourgue Chaise. 1965 Nylon stretch fabric over foam rubber on steel frame Mfr.: Airborca International, rc~nce ~ Gift of George Tan~f.r, In c,, N,,\;York (more) ~, .~J!J,'¥S(~?!Iffi.Jk.4fit'.}!<;}'fi'~:'~fr.,,~¥JJ;$ifr:{... ;;;*~\,;{jJ~"~fJ*\"',t:":\-li);t,~~,.;·')",k::W;"i'«V.fi¥rr,·a::":: ,X ?\i'.M',"S, 'fI,"',;.!' ~t Mt!!j!.%'::,"':.'i¢!f \ 'f:' i -2- Reiko Murai 9· Stool. 1961 Bent pLywood l1ith teak veneer Mfr. : Tendo Nokko, Ltd., Japan Gift of the manufacturer 10. George Nelson Couch. 1963 Chromed steel and leather Mfr.: Herman Miller, Inc., New York Gift of the manufacturer 11. Antti Nurmesniemi Stool. 1965 Chromed steel and leather Gift of Bonniers, New York ;~. Verner Panton Stool Set. 1965 MoMAExh_0840_MasterChecklist Bent p Lyuood Mfr.: Geformtes Holz, Germany Gift of the manufacturer ! errit Tho7~Rie .