George Nelson is considered one of the most influential figures in American design during the second half of the twentieth century. Operating from the western side of Michigan as Design Director at the Zeeland-based furniture manufacturer Herman Miller for more than twenty years, Nelson had his sights firmly focused on Cranbrook, which was also playing […]
On June 16, the first comprehensive retrospective of the work of George Nelson opened at the Cranbrook Art Museum, in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. "George Nelson: Architect | Writer | Designer | Teacher" first opened in Germany in September of 2008 at the Vitra Design Museum, marking what would have the American designer's 100th birthday. The exhibition then traveled to Spain before landing state-side at the Oklahoma Art Center in the winter of 2011, moving along to San Antonio and Seattle before arriving at the legendary design institution's newly renovated gallery space in Michigan (Contract, June 2012).
The Detroit News explores the interesting story behind George Nelson’s journey from architect and journalist to iconic American designer. The vision of the Herman Miller Furniture Company and the talents of Nelson ultimately changed design as we know it. “George Nelson: Architect / Writer / Designer / Teacher” makes it’s final stop at Cranbrook through […]
If you’ve ever kicked back in your family room, maybe perched in a midcentury Coconut Chair and reading under a Bubble Lamp, you’ve got designer and architect George Nelson to thank. The Hartford, Conn.-born Nelson (1908-86) came up with the idea of the family room in his 1945 book Tomorrow’s House, and was responsible for […]
“New exhibitions ably display the breadth and range of art in metro Detroit”
George Nelson is considered one of the most influential figures in American design during the second half of the twentieth century. Operating from the western side of Michigan as Design Director at the Zeeland-based furniture manufacturer Herman Miller for more than twenty years, Nelson had his sights firmly focused on Cranbrook, which was also playing a defining role in the development of Modernism.
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