Alexander Girard Wall Scrim Leaves Natural /Art / Tapestry Herman Miller
View Similar Items
Alexander Girard Wall Scrim Leaves Natural /Art / Tapestry Herman Miller
About the Item
- Creator:Herman Miller (Manufacturer),Alexander Girard (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 78 in (198.12 cm)Width: 56 in (142.24 cm)Depth: 0.5 in (1.27 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1990-1999
- Date of Manufacture:1990-1999
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Miami, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU188835286413
Alexander Girard
The director of design for the textiles department at Herman Miller, Inc., from 1952 to 1973, mid-century modern visionary Alexander Girard introduced bright, bouncy colors to upholstery and drapery fabrics, created jaunty graphics for marketing and advertising materials and devised motifs for everything from textiles to ceramics based on his true love: folk art from cultures around the globe.
The son of an American mother and an Italian father, Girard (known as Sandro to his friends) was born in New York City in 1907 but raised in Florence. He came from a creative family — his father was a master woodworker — and Girard began drawing and making his own playthings as a youngster. He had a fascination for nativity crèche tableaux, an enthusiasm that likely was the germ for his later interest in folk art. He went on to earn degrees in architecture at schools in both Rome and London before returning to New York in the 1930s and working in interior design.
By the 1940s, he and his wife, Susan, had moved to Detroit, where Girard was head of design for Detrola, a firm specializing in tabletop radios. The elegant bentwood housings that he developed for the devices won him acclaim, but, more importantly, at Detrola he met Charles Eames. The two became lifelong friends, and it was Eames who drew Girard toward Herman Miller, which had no dedicated textile department until Girard arrived, and most of its furniture was upholstered in mundane, “safe” hues. Girard changed all that, introducing fabrics in vivid shades of red, orange, yellow and blue. His early designs incorporated geometric motifs — stripes, circles, square, triangles and such. But toward the end of the 1950s he began to introduce folk art themes into his designs.
Girard did not collect important or expensive folk pieces. Rather he was drawn to simple objects such as handmade toys, figurines and models of animals, buildings and plants. The fabrics that emerged had whimsical, lighthearted motifs depicting, for example, angels, children, birds and flowers. Toward the end of his term with Herman Miller, in an effort to achieve what he termed “aesthetic functionalism,” Girard produced a group of what he called “Environmental Enrichment” pieces — silk-screened cotton panels emblazoned with various graphic designs, from bold geometric patterns to folk art themes. They were meant to divide spaces in offices or the home in lieu of walls while simultaneously functioning as art. Today, panels of vintage Girard upholstery textiles have become premium collectibles. The designer's furniture is less well known, primarily because most of it was created for private commissions.
Girard’s most lasting contribution may be his folk art collection. He and Susan had begun gathering pieces shortly after their marriage, in 1936. By the 1970s, they had amassed the world’s largest collection of cross-cultural folk art, composed of more than 100,000 pieces from around the world. The Girards donated their holdings to the Museum of International Folk Art, in Santa Fe (where they had moved in the ’60s), quintupling the institution’s collection, and a new wing — named for the Girards — had to be built to hold it.
Find a striking range of vintage Alexander Girard seating, tables, textiles and other furnishings on 1stDibs.
Herman Miller
No other business of its kind did more than the Herman Miller Furniture Company to introduce modern design into American homes. Working with legendary designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson and Alexander Girard, the Zeeland, Michigan-based firm fostered some of the boldest expressions of what we now call mid-century modern style. In doing so, Herman Miller produced some of the most beautiful, iconic and, one can even say, noblest chairs, sofas, tables and other furniture ever.
Founded in 1923, Herman Miller was originally known for grand historicist bedroom suites: heavily ornamented wood furniture that appealed to a high-minded, wealthier clientele. The company — named for its chief financial backer — began to suffer in the early 1930s as the Great Depression hit, and D.J. De Pree, the company’s CEO, feared bankruptcy. In 1932, aid came in the form of Gilbert Rohde, a self-taught furniture designer who had traveled widely in Europe, absorbing details of the Art Deco movement and other modernist influences. After persuading De Pree that the growing middle class required smaller, lighter household furnishings, Rohde set a new course for Herman Miller, creating sleek chairs, tables and cabinetry that were the essence of the Streamline Moderne style.
Rohde died suddenly in 1944. The following year, De Pree turned to George Nelson, an architect who had written widely about modern furniture design. Under Nelson’s leadership, Herman Miller would embrace new technologies and materials and audacious biomorphic forms.
Some of the pieces the company produced are now emblems of 20th century American design, including the Eames lounge chair and ottoman and Nelson’s Marshmallow sofa and Coconut chair. Such instantly recognizable furnishings have become timeless — staples of a modernist décor; striking, offbeat notes in traditional environments.
Find a range of vintage Herman Miller office chairs, desks, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Polished Chrome Wall Relief Sculpture Wall ArtLocated in Miami, FLPolished chrome wall relief sculpture wall art. Please ignore the reflections. The piece is about 30 pounds heavy.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
MaterialsChrome, Steel
- George Nelson & Associates Kite Table Lamp Howard MillerBy George Nelson, Howard MillerLocated in Miami, FLGeorge Nelson & Associates Kite table lamp made by Howard Miller. The shade was recently replaced. Chrome was not cleaned and has wear. Please see pictures.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Bröderna Miller Rosewood Side or Coffee Table, Sweden, 1960sBy Bröderna MillerLocated in Miami, FLBeautiful side table made by Bröderna Miller in Sweden, most likely from the 1960s. The three black legs unscrew. Table top in rosewood and other veneer. Please see pictures. Ready f...Category
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Rosewood
- Pair of Stainless Steel Sconces Wall LampsLocated in Miami, FLStainless steel sconces. Most likely custom-made, each sconce has one medium size ceramic socket.Category
Vintage 1980s American Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsStainless Steel
$1,600 / set - Sarreid Wall Shelf, Carved Wood, Gargoyle, Lion, Made in SpainBy Sarreid Ltd.Located in Miami, FLPair of Sarreid carved wood shelves. Can be used with glass top as seen in pictures or without. Made in Spain. Measures: Glass top is 108 (length)...Category
Vintage 1970s Spanish Modern Shelves
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- Stunning Brass Wall Lights SconcesLocated in Miami, FLPair of stunning brass wall lights with shades. Options for finishes: Polished brass with clear finish. Brass with antique patina.Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
$4,500 / set
- 100% Natural Handwoven Wool Tapestry/ Wall ArtLocated in East Hampton, NYAll natural beach style tapestry in non-died wool textile, woven by hand in this intricate and elegant design. Details include thick loops and knots design - very geometric and clean.Category
Late 20th Century Mexican Organic Modern Tapestries
MaterialsWool
- Large Natural Fibre Art Wall Tapestry, Don Freeman style, 1970sBy Don FreedmanLocated in London, GBA large tapestry representing a landscape. The bottom of the canvas is jute. Natural fibre patterns representing a house with a pond and trees, in a Japanese style. This fantastic wa...Category
Vintage 1970s American Bohemian Tapestries
MaterialsFabric
- African Mudcloth Wall Art TapestryLocated in Santa Cruz, CABlack-brown-white interesting design Textile wall Art. Dramatic in presentation and great on a white wall ! There are nine 5 inch wide sections stitched together and 70 inches long. Top and bottom have 2 1/8 inch pockets to insert a pole for hanging. I Have listed a beautiful Mashiko ware...Category
Mid-20th Century African Tapestries
MaterialsTapestry
- Wall Hanging Black Macrame Wall Art, Fiber Art, Textile Art, Wall TapestryBy Milla NovoLocated in Bennebroek, NLBlack cotton Macrame wallhanging This is a unique one of piece. Macrame art, wall art, wall decor, contemporary art, wall tapestry Handmade by Milla Novo Size 180 cm x 280 cm ...Category
2010s Dutch Tapestries
MaterialsCotton
- Edward Fields Wall Art Tapestry "Playland"By Edward FieldsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLColorful vintage wall tapestry hanging by Edward Fields. Original Label on reverse. Design title Playland.Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Tapestries
MaterialsNatural Fiber
- WallHanging Pink Metallic, Rope Art, Wall Art, Fiber Art, Wall Tapestry, macrameBy Milla NovoLocated in Bennebroek, NLPink metallic macrame wallhanging wallart, fiberart, textile art, wall tapestry Measures: 180cm x 280cm Handmade by Milla. Novo in her Art studio near Amsterdam These large wallh...Category
2010s Dutch Tapestries
MaterialsRope
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
A Guide to Herman Miller’s Most Iconic Furniture
The prolific manufacturer has partnered with many of the world’s top designers since opening its doors in 1923. Here are some of the company’s greatest hits, which helped transform the American home and office.