 Djinn chair (left) and sofa | |
| Designer | Olivier Mourgue |
|---|---|
| Date | 1964–1965 |
| Materials | Tubular Steel frame. Polyether foam covered in removable nylon jersey. |
The Djinn chair is a piece of furniture in the Modernist style, created by French designer Olivier Mourgue in the 1960s. [1] [2] Originally called the "Low fireside chair", [2] it is also commonly referred to as the "2001 chair", because of its prominent appearance in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey .
The Djinn chair is one element of a series of Djinn furniture designed by noted French designer Olivier Mourgue. [1] [2] In 1964 the first piece of the series, a chaise longue, was introduced by Airborne in Merignac Cedex, France. [2] The rest of the series was released in 1965, and includes the iconic "Low fireside chair", a two-seat sofa, and a foot stool. [2] The set remained in production until 1976. [2]
The name "Djinn" refers to an Islamic spirit capable of changing shape. [1] The design's low profile was an attempt to emulate the informal lifestyle of the time. [1] The set was introduced during a time when growing interest in Eastern mysticism was influencing Western decorative arts. [1]
The stretch jersey covering used for the Djinn series did not wear well. [3] Worse yet, the polyether foam used in construction of Djinn chairs has a tendency to degrade over time, causing the pieces to become unusable. [3] "Things should have a short life," Mourgue said in 1965, when he was 26. [3]
Djinn chairs were sold worldwide, and in Europe they have become valuable designer collectibles. [3] Values in Europe remain varied depending on condition, with professionally restored chairs selling for $1,000 or more, and sofas for more than $1,800.[ citation needed ] In the United States the chairs remain largely forgotten, [3] and little effort at restoration has occurred.
A 1964–1965 green Djinn Chaise Longue is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It was donated by George Tanier, Inc. in 1966. [4]
Poul Kjærholm (1929–1980) was a Danish designer. Born in Østervrå, Denmark, Kjærholm began his career as a cabinetmaker's apprentice with Gronbech in 1948, attending the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen in 1952. In 1953, he married Hanne Kjærholm who became a successful architect. While working as a designer, he also became an educator continuing studies with Prof. Erik Herløw and Prof. Palle Suenson.
Erotic furniture, also known as sex furniture, is any form of furniture that is designed to act as an aid to sexual activity. Some examples function as a positioning tool, assisting with comfort, penetration level and stimulation. Others are constructed to be an aid to erotic bondage. The functionality may be obvious or the erotic furniture may be designed to appear as conventional furniture. Some conventional items of furniture such as the four-poster bed and the chaise longue traditionally have erotic associations, but they are not considered to be erotic furniture as their primary use is not erotic. Erotic furniture can also be furniture decorated with erotic art.
A chaise longue is an upholstered sofa in the shape of a chair that is long enough to support the legs of the sitter.
Olivier Mourgue is a French industrial designer best known as the designer of the futuristic Djinn chairs used in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Charlotte Perriand was a French architect and designer. Her work aimed to create functional living spaces in the belief that better design helps in creating a better society. In her article "L'Art de Vivre" from 1981 she states "The extension of the art of dwelling is the art of living — living in harmony with man's deepest drives and with his adopted or fabricated environment." Charlotte liked to take her time in a space before starting the design process. In Perriand's Autobiography, "Charlotte Perriand: A Life of Creation", she states: "I like being alone when I visit a country or historic site. I like being bathed in its atmosphere, feeling in direct contact with the place without the intrusion of a third party." Her approach to design includes taking in the site and appreciating it for what it is. Perriand felt she connected with any site she was working with or just visiting she enjoyed the living things and would reminisce on a site that was presumed dead.
A recliner is an armchair or sofa that reclines when the occupant lowers the chair's back and raises its front. It has a backrest that can be tilted back, and often a footrest that may be extended by means of a lever on the side of the chair, or may extend automatically when the back is reclined.
Modern furniture refers to furniture produced from the late 19th century through the present that is influenced by modernism. Post-World War II ideals of cutting excess, commodification, and practicality of materials in design heavily influenced the aesthetic of the furniture. It was a tremendous departure from all furniture design that had gone before it. There was an opposition to the decorative arts, which included Art Nouveau, Neoclassical, and Victorian styles. Dark or gilded carved wood and richly patterned fabrics gave way to the glittering simplicity and geometry of polished metal. The forms of furniture evolved from visually heavy to visually light. This shift from decorative to minimalist principles of design can be attributed to the introduction of new technology, changes in philosophy, and the influences of the principles of architecture. As Philip Johnson, the founder of the Department of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art articulates:
"Today industrial design is functionally motivated and follows the same principles as modern architecture: machine-like simplicity, smoothness of surface, avoidance of ornament ... It is perhaps the most fundamental contrast between the two periods of design that in 1900 the Decorative Arts possessed ..."
A canapé is a piece of furniture similar to a couch. The word is typically meant to describe an elegant couch made out of elaborately carved wood with wooden legs, an upholstered back, armrests, and single long seat that typically seats three, that emerged from France in the 18th century.
Cassina S.p. A. is an Italian manufacturing company specialised in the creation of high-end designer furniture.
Charles Eames and Ray Eames were an American married couple of industrial designers who made significant historical contributions to the development of modern architecture and furniture through the work of the Eames Office. They also worked in the fields of industrial and graphic design, fine art, and film. Charles was the public face of the Eames Office, but Ray and Charles worked together as creative partners and employed a diverse creative staff. Among their most recognized designs is the Eames Lounge Chair and the Eames Dining Chair.
Finn Juhl was a Danish architect, interior and industrial designer, most known for his furniture design. He was one of the leading figures in the creation of Danish design in the 1940s and he was the designer who introduced Danish modern to America.
Claesson Koivisto Rune is a Swedish architectural partnership, founded in 1995 by Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune. It started as an architectural firm, but has since become a multi-disciplinary office with an equal emphasis on both architecture and design.
Arne Vodder was a Danish furniture designer, a close friend and partner of Finn Juhl who had been his teacher.
Gufram is an Italian seat and furniture manufacturer based in Barolo known for the influence it had in the field of industrial design and for helping to revolutionize the look of the furniture from the 1960s. Their sculptural art objects show the many influences of pop art, conceptual art, illusionism, naturalism and modern design.
Le Corbusier's Furniture is a classic furniture line created by Le Corbusier. The line was introduced in 1928 at the Salon d‘Autumne in Paris.
Pierre Paulin was a French furniture designer and interior designer. His uncle Georges Paulin was a part-time automobile designer and invented the mechanical retractible hardtop, who was later executed by the Nazis in 1941 as a hero of the French Resistance. After failing his Baccalauréat, Pierre trained to become a ceramist in Vallaurius on the French Rivera and then as a stone-carver in Burgundy. Soon after, he injured his right arm in a fight, ending his dreams as a sculptor. He then went on to attend the Ecole Camondo in Paris. He had a stint with the Gascoin company in Le Havre where he gained an interest in Scandinavian and Japanese design. He was famed for his innovative work with Artifort in the 1960s and interior design in the 1970s.
Grant Stanley Featherston was an Australian furniture designer whose chair designs in the 1950s became icons of the Atomic Age.
Anna Maria Baldo Niemeyer was a Brazilian architect, furniture designer and gallery owner. The only daughter of Oscar Niemeyer, she worked with her father to design the civic buildings for Brasília, focusing primarily on interior spaces and decoration. When her father decided to make furniture to harmonize his structures with the design elements, she turned her interest to furniture designing. Her two most noted designs were the initial prototype called the "Alta" and the "Rio". In her later career, she ran an art gallery in Rio, which at one time was the only gallery in the city, and assisted in the creation of the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum.
Zanotta is an Italian furniture company particularly known for the iconic pieces of Italian design it produced in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. These include the "Sacco" bean bag chair and "Blow", the first mass-produced inflatable chair. The company was founded in 1954 and has its main plant in Nova Milanese. In 1984 Zanotta established its experimental division, Zabro, headed by Alessandro Guerriero, with Alessandro Mendini and Stefano Casciani. Since the death of its founder, Aurelio Zanotta, in 1991, it has been run by members of his family. Zanotta's products were awarded the Compasso d'Oro in 1967, 1979, 1987 and 2020.