100 YEARS OF THE CALIFORNIA CHAIR


The challenge of creating fresh versions of everyday objects seems to be irresistible. The particular demands of comfort, technology and aesthetics make the chair -- a seemingly simple piece of furniture -- especially challenging. And the prominent role that this ubiquitous object plays in our everyday lives is just one of the reasons that so much attention is paid to it.

Like automobiles, chairs are a delicate balance of aesthetics and engineering. Unlike cars, however, chairs are normally used in homes and commercial buildings which have their own architectural styles. So it’s not surprising that chair design frequently parallels developments in architecture and that architects often carry their vision for the exteriors of their buildings inside by designing the furniture to be used in them.

This unprecedented exhibition features more than 50 chairs whose designs parallel the development of architecture and industrial materials in California and reflect the unique combination of cultural influences -- Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Middle European -- that helped define California’s contributions to American design between 1905 and 2005. The styles represented include Mission Revival, Spanish Colonial Revival, International Modernism, Art Deco and Industrial Modern. The wide range of industrial materials utilized in the production of the exhibits includes plywood, tubular aluminum, Lucite, vinyl, molded plywood, fiberglass, molded plastic, stainless steel, corrugated paper and elastometric fabric.

Exhibits in "100 Years Of The California Chair" range from traditional forms to playful designs, from office furniture to children’s chairs. In addition to its do-not-touch exhibits the show includes a visitor-pleasing participatory component, Be Seated!, in which examples of more than a dozen of the chairs in the exhibition may be tried out. These splendid examples of the marriage of beauty, innovation and comfort include both reissues of vintage products and chairs currently in production.