The Modern Art Chair

Designer : Finn Juhl
Manufacturer : Onecollection
Material : Polyamid, oak/walnut/teak
Design Date : 1948, relaunched in 2017
Country : Denmark
Dimension : W 70.5 D59.5 H 77cm Seat height: 46cm
In 1948, the Museum of Modern Art hosted a design competition for chairs that should be ready for industrial production and retailed at low prices. This was not exactly Finn Juhl’s area of expertise as he had become famous for his incredibly elegant and detailed handcrafted furniture. Nevertheless, Finn Juhl decided to submit his entry. This decision may have been based on the fact that Finn Juhl had met and established what turned out to be a lifelong friendship with Edgar Kaufmann Jr., who, at the time, was the director of the Industrial Design Department at MoMA. It was also Edgar Kaufmann Jr. who introduced Finn Juhl to the American design industry.The result of Finn Juhl’s entry for the competition, was a beautiful and sculptural armchair in polyamide. Unfortunately, Finn Juhl did not win the competition. The winner, however, was Charles and Ray Eames with their famous plastic chair, which has since been produced by the millions. The Modern Art Chair has never before been produced, but when it comes to Finn Juhl nothing is ever too late. For comparison, Finn Juhl’s iconic Pelican Chair was tucked away for 61 years before it saw the light of day again in 2001.We have named it Modern Art Chair, as a tribute to Edgar Kaufmann Jr. and MoMA. The shell of the chair is cast in polyamide and is supported by painted steel legs in black, orange, light blue or light grey with wooden toes. The chair is complemented by a reversible, upholstered seat cushion. The chair is well suited for indoor and outdoor use alike.

WOOD

teak
teak
walnut
walnut
oak
oak