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 Having once again, thanks to DWR, come face-to-face with the 1961 Playboy photo and article "Designs for Living," it is interesting for me to reflect on those long-ago heady days. Within a few years of arriving in the United States from Denmark, I joined forces with Hans Knoll. From early 1941 until mid 1943, when I was drafted into the army, I designed Knoll's first modern furniture collection, the "600" line, of which I am quite proud. When I returned home from the war, Hans and I met to discuss a few designs, but he had since married Florence Schust (Knoll), a brilliant designer who was the obvious choice to steer the Knoll design program.  I decided to go out on my own, and, in May of 1946, launched Jens Risom Design. To be sure my designs achieved precisely what I intended, I took on manufacturing and sales. Jens Risom Design became a much-needed source for well-designed and well-crafted modern furniture. For 25 years Jens Risom Design manufactured furniture for the residential and office markets - like the armchair shown on the Playboy cover.When we gathered that day for the Playboy photo shoot, we probably all wanted, as I did, to have the opportunity to relax over a drink and compare notes. But it all took so much more time than expected. Too bad, for I had hoped it would be our chance to get to know each other better. In my opinion, Eames, Saarinen and Bertoia were the most interesting, and we could have learned a lot from them.  Around the time the Playboy article was published, my wife and I visited Ray and Charlie in California. They had expanded beyond furniture design into filmmaking. Charlie routinely photographed during the design process, so it was a natural progression that they move into film. They had been filming quite a lot in Mexico, working with a wonderful collection of miniatures.
Later on we met up again at the 1964 New York World's Fair, located on the same grounds as the 1939 World's Fair. I recalled being a fascinated visitor in '39, having landed in the States only six months earlier. At the 1964 fair, Saarinen designed the IBM Pavilion, a marvelous egg-shaped structure that rested on metal trees with Plexiglas leaves that canopied the main building. It was really something to see. Unfortunately, Saarinen, who died in 1961, didn't live to see the final product.  Once inside the pavilion, you were hoisted up inside the egg, which turned out to be a large theatre. After the lights were down, cameras began rolling Charlie and Ray's films. In every direction there were flashing images. I don't remember what the films were about, but it was very exciting and made you think. Beautifully done. The Eameses were an outstanding couple, enormously important for the development of creative design. I have such fond memories of them.
We designers turned cover models missed the opportunity to rub elbows on the day of the Playboy photo shoot, and the right set of circumstances never returned. Still, I am sure we all enjoyed having been included. I now, as the lone survivor, hope the DWR publication of the Playboy photograph stimulates conversation about the relevance of mid-century modern design, and the future of good, honest, quality craftsmanship and design.  Jens Risom Photo reproduced by special permission of Playboy. Originally appeared in Playboy magazine, July 1961. |
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| The DWR Semiannual Sale: Have a (Mirror) Ball Save 10% through Tuesday, October 16 on thousands of items, from floor to ceiling, inside and out - including Tom Dixon's Mirror Ball Pendants. See the Mirror Ball Collection > Shop the sale > |
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| The Culture of Cool The Orange County Museum of Art has a new exhibit, Birth of the Cool. How cool is it? Read the DWR blog to find out. Learn more > |
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| Studio Events: Take a Seat for the Cure Locations: Bethesda; Dallas; Flatiron; Newport Beach; North Ave; Potrero; Portland; Princeton; South Beach Join DWR and KnollŪ in the fight against breast cancer. Silent auctions for nine exclusive, limited-edition Florence Knoll Benches, that are upholstered in pink Spinnybeck leather, will take place at nine Studios across the country. All of the proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. Learn more > |
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| What Modern Was New Caanan, Connecticut, was one of the epicenters of the modern architecture movement. On November 3, take a tour of the architecture of Eliot Noyes, Edward Durell Stone, Frank Lloyd Wright, John Howe (pictured above) and other notable designers. Learn more > |
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Daughters of Design Read about the recent design event in our Boulder Studio with Celia Bertoia, Carla Hartman (Eames) and Susan Saarinen. Read the post > Read more from the Design Notes blog > |
