. this place is too legitimate.
The "Ink Gallery," where the exhibition will be held, has a building designed by Junzo Yoshimura and a tea room by Saiji Nakamura, one of Japan's leading sukiya (tea ceremony house) carpenters. And, oddly enough, the team is exactly the same as that of the Rockefeller House, where over 220 pieces of furniture by George Nakashima are located. Feeling sympathy for such a strange fate, they decided on this exhibition as well.
As I mentioned earlier, many designers from overseas appreciate and use the furniture. The furniture in John Lautner's "Glass House," which appears in Tom Ford's movie "A Single Man," is almost all made by George Nakashima, and I read an article that Michael Kors also has a collection. I also read an article that Michael Kors also has a collection. On the other hand, in Japan, George Nakashima is known only to a small portion of the older generation, so I thought that if the designers of my generation experienced George Nakashima's philosophy and furniture, it might have some influence on their creations.
Bloglence Tools This stool was made around 1945 for Mr. Brogren, a good friend of the Nakashima family, and is being reissued for the first time in over 75 years. The reissue was made possible through correspondence with Mira Nakashima, the eldest daughter of George Nakashima's successor in New Hope, Pennsylvania. The wood was changed from the original cypress to black walnut. The legs were handcrafted by a craftsman using a planing machine. The mortise and tenon joint between the legs and seat is one of the features of this stool.
. the difference in George Nakashima's visibility overseas and in Japan. Where does it come from? In other words, why has he established his position and reputation overseas?
He was already highly regarded, having received the Craftsmanship Medal from the Architectural Institute of America in 1952, but perhaps the fact that he had worked on the Rockefeller residence gave him a kind of status, I think. Nelson Rockefeller, who was president of MoMA at the time and also had a deep knowledge of art, ultimately chose "George Nakashima" as the furniture for his own residence. This fact must have been quite an amazing way to appreciate the product.
Lounge arm (Maple bar model) Designed in 1962 , this low chair features large arms and a spacious, wide seat. The arms are made of rare maple burl wood. This exhibit is a unique opportunity to see two maple burl lounge arms side by side, with the left and right arms wooded as a set.
George Nakashima also actively interacted with Japan. For example, from the 1960s to the 1980s, the "George Nakashima Exhibition" was held at Odakyu Haruku, and Mizukama says its influence was not small.
In an early exhibition, the Windsor chair was bought by (calligrapher, artist, printmaker, and essayist) Momoho Shinoda and other prominent people, including Isamu Kenmochi and Riki Watanabe (both interior and product designers), who rushed to see the exhibit. In a magazine, Riki Watanabe commented on George Nakashima's straight-back chair, saying that there was no Windsor chair that could surpass it. About a few decades later, he created the Riki Windsor. I heard that Mr. Kenmochi also said that Mr. Nakashima's influence hastened modernism in Japan by 30 years. I think it is interesting that Mr. Nakashima influenced various creators of his time.
Frame II The dynamic use of wood in this walnut wood picture frame makes it stand out from the crowd.
Cone Brat Case All of the items in this exhibit are limited editions made of walnut.
table lamp The base is made of scrap wood from the lumbering process. This is also very Nakashima-like. The carefully sharpened and polished luminescent ring is in perfect harmony with the luminescent part of the base.
. Compared to the magnitude of its influence, it is so well known in Japan that it has settled down too much. This must be due in part to the fact that it is only available in three places in the world: New Hope in the U.S., Ginza, and Takamatsu. According to Mizukama, "George Nakashima's furniture today is the kind of furniture that only a serious furniture or architecture enthusiast would be able to find.
In this day and age, once a designer's furniture comes into the limelight, it becomes all the rage, even too much of a rage. George Nakashima's furniture stands apart from the rest. This exhibition will be a unique opportunity for visitors to touch, sit, and experience the furniture. We hope you will enjoy the whole concept of the exhibition together with the space of "Ink Gallery," which has a great view of the sea in Kamakura and Shonan.
