Modern Design.

[Fidel Fernandez]

Hi,

I always wonder why in USA the tendency for woodworking is for old design, but in Europe it tends to be more for contemporary design.

I am not saying that in USA no one makes modern design woodworking or old design in Europe, I just see the tendency.

I also want to ask if you know of websites or forums where is discussed more modern furniture, or modern woodworking design.

My preference is for contemporary design.

[Sean Hughto]

Can you define your terms? What sort of designs are you thinking of as "old and what as "modern"?

While there are many devotees to Chippendale and Federal and Shaker and so forth, there's plenty of Morris and Stickley and G&G. There's also plenty of Krenov and Nakashima and so forth who are relatively modern. Are you talking about Danish modern or mid century or what?

[Kees Heiden]

That's all old stuuf Sean.

Contemporary is NOW.

Sorry Fidel, I have no real answer. I am curious myself. You can find some hobbyist made stuff and discussions on woodworking.de which is more modern then classic.

[Sean Hughto]

So how about this, Kees:




Modern or old?

[Fidel Fernandez]

For example if you go to pirwi dot com (I know links are not allowed, so I wrote the name), they use mostly plywood cut by cnc.

I know this can be done without the plywood, cutting the strips, etc. I like the design, but I have doubts how to make the spacers or how to install them while the glue is drying. (search for the bench flex).

This other website about Danny Damerath dot com (no spaces) and look for tables. The table "Martin Too" is a great example of what I like on furniture.

That is the type of things that I like to discuss.

[Kees Heiden]

No idea Sean. Looks kind of new with a "naturel" touch.

Fidel, I don't know if you will find much in handtool circles.

[Sean Hughto]

http://www.dannykamerath.com/tables/#/martin-too/

[Jim Belair]

It's not a place with the discussion you're seeking, but I turn to Pritam Eames, especially their archives, for inspiration. http://pritameames.com/on_view.html

[Daniel Rode]

For me personally, I tend to work on things that interest me and that I think I can make with my skills and tools. Both of those evolve over time. For example, I never cared much for Shaker furniture until recently. As I learn more about Shaker and country style, I've come to appreciate it more.

I'm more interested in Arts and Crafts styles. I like the style(s) and I can design and build some of my own. Even within A&C there are huge design differences. Stickley, Green & Green, English A&C, are all quite different. Someone may love G&G but be totally put off by a F L Wright piece.

I stayed away from more complex styles, Federal, Chippendale, Queen Anne, etc. because I lacked the skill, knowledge or tools to attempt them. Hopefully over time that will change too.

As for modern, contemporary design, IDK. It all depends on how you define it. Sam Maloof? Love to try to make a Maloof style chair. I can't do it, but I'd like to .

Ikea style European design, not so much.

[Derek Cohen]

I like contemporary.

The campaign chests I built a few years ago were made without all the brass edging to create a modern look ...




And The Chair will always carry a contemporary label ...



I love this desk and chair by David Haig (from New Zealand) ...



Just a few.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Brian Holcombe]

'Modern' Defines a period and style in the same manner of speaking as 'Arts and Crafts', 'Post Modern', 'Chippendale', ect. Contemporary design is current design, not to be confused with popular period design. All period design was contemporary at their time, but is now period.

Nakashima and Maloof are both period design, the style being 'American Craft', it overlaps Modern in timing but they are wholly different forms of design. Modern design was a style which merged machine, craftsman and architect, where American Craft is mostly devoted to hand craft. There are many overlaps, in fact much of early Danish Modernism more closely represents the ideals of American craft than modern design, but because they were working toward utilizing material in a different manner they are grouped in with Modernism.

[Kees Heiden]

So where are we now? What kind of style is the furniture on that pirwi.com website?
I'm not much of an art connaiseur, I just feel that this contemporary stuff is very different fromG&G or Krenov or Maloof. It looks like these artists are in the first place designers and furniture is just their medium.

[Brian Holcombe]

Contemporary means current, it's fully encompassing of new design. Design 'inspired by' period work is not the same as period work, I'm not accusing you of this by any means, but a lot of people assign the description 'Mid-Century Modern' to everything that remotely looks Danish or American Modern with muddies the waters a bit for the more accurate classifications of design.

[dan sherman]

So where are we now? What kind of style is the furniture on that pirwi.com website?
I'm not much of an art connaiseur, I just feel that this contemporary stuff is very different fromG&G or Krenov or Maloof. It looks like these artists are in the first place designers and furniture is just their medium.

Personally I would call that hipster furniture. A lot of hipsters I Know would love that stuff, and they would call it unique, custom, or some other adjective. However they would treat it more like a piece of art than furniture.


to me modern design is more like the last two pictures Derek posted. Basically more fluid 3D forms. Shaker and Arts & Crafts are cringe worthy in my opinion, but I believe popular with the masses because they are generally easy to make.

[Kees Heiden]

Hipster!

My hipster kitchen.