In 2008, the American designer and architect George Nelson (1908-1986) would have turned 100. Nelson was a key figure in American design in the second half of the 20th century. The studied architect with a degree from Yale University was not only an important designer, but also a highly respected author, journalist, lecturer, exhibition curator and passionate photographer.
In his role as design director at furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, Nelson shaped the company's program and image for more than two decades and made a significant contribution to the pioneering achievements in corporate design. Numerous classics of modern furniture and interior design emerged from this collaboration. In addition, Nelson dealt intensively with questions relating to living, planning and furnishing houses. His role as a thought leader in the development of modern office landscapes is also of great importance.
Nelson proved himself to be an intelligent author and publicist throughout his life. In addition to a dozen books, he published more than 100 articles and essays on design topics. This exhibition catalog accompanies the first comprehensive retrospective of George Nelson's work. Eight contributions by German and American design historians are dedicated to all areas of Nelson's work, many of which are reported in detail here for the first time. The catalog also contains an illustrated catalog raisonné. As the first German-language publication about the life and work of George Nelson, the exhibition catalog draws on the majority of images from Nelson's estate in the archives of the Vitra Design Museum, which have not yet been published.
