Century Danish

26 Dec, 2004 in art pottery by admin

Century Danish

Danish Furniture Design

Danish furniture had its great period between 1925 and 1975, hence the name Mid-century Modern. During this period, architects and manufacturers entered into unique and very rewarding collaborations, which raised standards, in terms of both aesthetics and functionality. Danish furniture has been described as art.

To look at Danish furniture we have to look at where it has come from and where it is, and for the purpose of this article I have categorized Danish furniture design into two categories; the vintage classics and the new classics.

The vintage classics are collector items from renowned Danish designers. The most well known designer is Hans Jørgen Wegner. He received almost all major honors given to designers, from the Luning prize in 1951 to the Prince Eugen medal. Wegner is best known for his many chairs of craftsmanship some of which are the Peacock Chair, Papa Bear Chair, and the Wing Chair among other classic pieces.

Poul Kjærholm (1929-1980) took a particular liking to metal while a student at Copenhagen School of Arts and Crafts. He went on to create masterpieces using steel. He believed that it was upon the user to add movement, drama, color and variation to his designs.

Finn Juhl (1912 - 1989) was a furniture designer, industrial designer and architect. He specialized in furniture and interior design and also designed refrigerators for General Electric.

The new classics are brand new furniture pieces created in recent years. In the last 2 decades Danish designers have been getting together and creating pieces which many labeled as weak and cannot be taken as serious art. However, these new designs are here to stay and have paved the way for today's designers.
 
Today's designers fall in either one of two categories. They are either "disciplined" with a clear understanding and adherence to Danish design tradition with respect for the classic craft. This group is represented by designers such as Søren Ulrik Petersen and Christina Strand.

Søren Ulrik Petersen studied at Denmark's Design School, where he graduated as a cabinetmaker in 1990. Petersen is a designer who continues the Danish tradition for furniture and design and manages to mix art and crafts with a great feel for materials.

Christina Strand has the uncanny flair for finding inspiration in unexpected places. She mainly designs chairs and tables using steel. She emphasizes that she makes furniture for people.

The other group is known as the "wild" with new ideas of design using spectacular and sculptural forms. It is represented by designers such as Mathias Bengtsson and Sebastian Holmbäck.

Mathias Bengtsson is a Danish-born, London-based designer who produces sculptural furniture which is visually arresting and technically innovative.

Sebastian Holmbäck graduated from Denmark's Design School with a major in Industrial Design. He owned StudioB and was one of the main reasons behind the design project that we know as, "Walk the Plank II".
Danish furniture design is as full of history as it is exquisite.

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Weight averages in 16th century Denmark?

I know this is kind of a random statistic, but for a school project I have to know around how much a Danish woman weighs.
She's upper class, so I'm assuming she's a little on the heavy side.
It doesn't even have to be Denmark, I guess...just a website with statistics of weight over the ages?

Well, I suppose the only difference with today to take into account would be that people were generally very much shorter than nowadays. In 1815, for instance only 1 man in 100 in Britain was over six foot tall (whereas now, to be that height or taller is not unusual). Thus, I would give your Danish woman a height of 5 foot or less and work out how much an average woman (today) of that height weighs.

Hope this helps!

Mid-Century Danish Modern Hans Olsen Dining Set by Frem Rojle - Eames / Wegner Era