Alexander Girard A Designer’s Universe Exhibi5on 2019-2020 Sandro’s work and influence at Herman Miller (1952 – 1973) by Jackie Lockington and Richard Proctor Trained as an architect, but proficient in all areas of design, Alexander Girard was introduced to HM by Charles Eames and George Nelson, who needed appropriate fabric for their modern furniture designs. Girard was hired to create the Miller TexBle Division in 1951 and was its Director of Design unBl 1973. His salary was 5% of the sales of his fabric. From his home in Santa Fe, NM, he designed over 300 texBles in mulBtudes of colorways, mulBple collecBons of wallpaper, decoraBve prints and wall hangings, and furniture. Sandro’s fabric designs were an integral part of the mid-century direcBon of HM. They were bold, bright, colorful, and opposite in feeling than the modern pale and staid colors available at that Bme. While working for Herman Miller, Girard did freelance work for exhibiBons, museums, restaurants, shops, and private clients. He and his wife also conBnued to travel extensively collecBng folk art, his main inspiraBon. Girard was no faddist. He was an arBst and innovator with a great awareness of markeBng and promoBon. Hugh De Pree said, “Alexander Girard taught us that business ought to be fun, that part of the quality of life was joy, excitement, and celebra5on. He provided for the Herman Miller program an emo5onal enrichment. …we followed AG where he led us because we knew he had impeccable taste and incredible astuteness about space, color, and paXern” GIRARDS MAIN CONTRIBUTIONS TO HERMAN MILLER AND INTERIOR DESIGN 1. His inaugural collecBon for Herman Miller offered a fully formed vision for a holisBc texBle program and made an immediate impact within the trade and media. Previously (1930’s-1951 he had his own label and designed mostly fruits, flowers, and “conversaBonals” printed on a white ground through his outlet in Grosse Pointe, MI 1 2. Girard was the first to coordinate fabrics in a book (3 ring binder, etc.) so designers could “mix and match” and look through the collecBon 3. Girard was to give character and touch and also to supplement and lend excitement to the work of Nelson and Eames. The three men formed a design team that has influenced living not only in the USA, but throughout the world. 4. His work has been described as an anBdote to modern design, or the humanizaBon of modernism. He restored what classical modernism had rejected in design, color, decoraBon, and opulence. 5. Small and simple designs such as checks and stripes coordinated with larger prints and were available for a number of years with mulBple colorways 6. Designed fabric for the furniture designs of Nelson and Eames 7. Commercial fabrics were well tested for strength, color fastness, wrinkling, abrasive resistance, sBtch strength, etc, the technical requirements of the day. 8. Girard’s innovaBons extended to a variety of markeBng, sales, and specificaBon tools he designed to accompany his collecBons. 9. Sandro was given free rein to contribute graphics and showroom installaBons, lending a more disBnct character to each collecBon and adding a new dimension to the HM program as a whole 10. Girard explored wildly different approaches to producBon method, yarn content, pafern, texture, color, and mood to create an unrivaled body of work. 11. Girard’s love of folk art played an extensive role throughout his tenure with Herman Miller, from influencing the texBle designs, to styling for 2 showrooms. His unique approach was ogen featured in magazines and trade materials. _______________________________________________________ Below is a brief history of HM and how its design and manufacturing philosophy changed over Bme. Highlighted are the famous mid-century designers whose creaBve genius shaped that change (Rohde, Nelson, Eames, Girard). Herman Miller is sBll in operaBon world wide, is a leader in commercial design, and has showrooms all over the world. 1905 begins as the Star Furniture Co, manufacturing tradiBonal bedroom suites 1922 Herman Miller (the man) is president of the company and D.J. De Pree general manager and corporate leader unBl 1962 1923 De Pree convinces his father-in-law (Herman Miller) to purchase a majority of Star Furniture stock and change the name to Herman Miller 1930 NY designer, Gilbert Rohde is hired, and convinces De Pree to make modern furniture, directs design unBl his death in 1944 1933 HM modern furniture debuts at the Chicago Century of Progress expo 1934 Rohde led HM into the upholstery business as well as casegoods 1939 opens showroom at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago (first manufacturer’s showroom at the Mart), then, in 1941, a NY showroom. 1942 enters the office furniture market, opens showroom in LA, Gilbert Rohde dies in 1944 1945 TradiBonal-style furniture is phased out; architect George Nelson is hired as the key design consultant unBl his death in 1985 1946 First HM furniture collecon by George Nelson, Nelson brings in Charles and Ray Eames and introduce award=winning molded plywood chairs for mass producBon. They were exhibited at the MOMA in New York 3 1951 Eames and Nelson know Girard personally and are familiar with his exhibiBons, awards, architecture, etc. They suggest him to De Pree and he is hired as a colorist and texBle innovator, which conBnues unBl 1970’s. 1952 The HM Tex@le Division is formed, headed by Girard, who introduces the first of over 300 fabric designs as well as wallpaper collecBons. 1956 the famous Eames lounge chair and ofoman is introduced on Television, there are seven HM showrooms across the country 1957 HM enters the internaBonal market and by 1990 have faciliBes in Europe, Canada, and the Asian Pacific 1958 HM opens showroom in San Francisco, designed by Alexander Girard 1960 Girard designs La Fonda del Sol project, HM manufactures some of the furniture (designed by Girard and Eames) 1960 During the 60’s HM transiBoned from serving residenBal customers to insBtuBonal environments to corpora@ons. 1961 HM TexBles and Objects Shop opens on May 22 in NY, designed by Girard, makes Girard fabrics available to the public, and was the first retail store for HM. 1963 TexBles and Objects Shop closes, 1964 Girard wallpapers disconBnued 1965 Girard redesigns the visual aspects of enBre Braniff Airlines: his furniture leads to the Girard furniture collecBon 1967 Girard group furniture collecBon is introduced, but disconBnued in 1968 1970 Girard designs Environmental Enrichment graphics for fabric-covered AcBon Office panels: added to AcBon Office in 1972, disconBnued in 1976 _____________________________________________________________ AddiBonal informaBon about Sandro’s Fabrics 4 Screen Process Fabric Prin@ng: A sheet of sheer fabric (silk or polyester) is stretched firmly over a light weight frame and a stencil is adhered to it. Print cloth is laid out on a long padded table with a notched registraBon bar on each side. The screen is placed on the print cloth and print paste is squeegeed over the stencil onto the print cloth below. The stencil areas remain unprinted (blocked out) and open areas will print. For a one color single-image (most Environmental Enrichment Panels for instance) the process ends here. For mulB color prints a different screen of the exact same size will be needed for each color. Girard was a master of overlapping transparency. Drapery Fabric: Girard advised against floral designs which become distorted when draped or folded. He favored stylisBc abstracBons and his endless geometrics. He said, “It is boring to be aware of endless pafern repeats, they should be as invisible as possible.” This is a skill he fully developed in his 20 years with Herman Miller. Upholstery Fabrics: Mostly woven paferns but some small scale repeats as well. Cushion Covers: Unique single-image designs ogen one screen print color with ground color opBons. Environmental Enrichment Panels: Single-image panels, forty designs in all which had recurred repeatedly – sun faces, double hearts, doves and angels. Mostly one color prints. Designed to fit office spaces and personalize them. Prices ranged from $16.50 to $44.00, disconBnued in 1976, but VERY collectable today. Subjects and Sources: Alexander Girard was a cosmopolitan ciBzen of the world and probably the 20th century’s foremost collector of folk art. He was a champion of (then) outrageous, intense color schemes (hot pink, melon, burnt orange on school bus yellow ground fabric for example). He blended his own precise and organized way of working with the magic, mystery, and intensely human (someBmes messy) quirkiness of the world of folk art. 5 6 .