Bodil Kjær is as precise as the architectural lines of her furniture. Ahead of an interview, she sends talking points that read like a manifesto: ‘I am not a furniture designer; I am a designer of environments. I am concerned about solving problems of the kind that can be defined. I am concerned about delight and beauty rather than opulence and vulgarity.’
She turned 90 in March and is as clear, forthright and consistent as the texts that she wrote 45 or more years ago. When asked if she is surprised about the full-on revival of interest in her designs, Kjær says, ‘No, I have done the same thing all along.’ It just took a while for a new generation to catch up. ‘I go out, I see a problem and I work with other people to solve it. That’s what I say to young people – don’t compete with each other about who can make the fanciest chair. There are many problems that need solving by a designer – go and find them.’
This clarity of purpose goes some way towards explaining why Kjær’s elegant creations from the late 1950s to mid-1960s have proved so timeless. The chairs, tables, desks, lights and vases were never created as objects per se, but rather designed in the broader context of space, as what she calls ‘elements of architecture’, to address specific problems relating to use and aesthetics.
この記事は Wallpaper の May 2022 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は Wallpaper の May 2022 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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