Alexander Girard Textile Art
About the Item
- Creator:Alexander Girard (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 46 in (116.84 cm)Width: 24 in (60.96 cm)Depth: 0.2 in (5.08 mm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960-1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2919315777942
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Midcentury Bamboo ScreenLocated in Los Angeles, CAMidcentury bamboo screen is a great piece for most any room or vignette. This beautiful screen is built with a metal frame with bamboo designs througho...Category
Mid-20th Century Bulgarian Mid-Century Modern Wall Brackets
MaterialsMetal
- Mid Century Modern Floor Lamp in Black and Gold MetalLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage floor lamp with a fabric shade. The stand is constructed in black and gold metal. The color of the fabric shade has a cream-like color. Its minimal aesthetic is suitable for ...Category
Mid-20th Century North American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Three Door CabinetLocated in Los Angeles, CAVintage cabinet featuring doors with round knobs that pull open as well as two small drawers that you can pull out. Hand painted white, with bits of blue paint. Gorgeously aged in go...Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Cognac Buffalo Leather Durlet Three Seater SofaBy DurletLocated in Los Angeles, CAMid-Century natural leather streamline three seater sofa. Large and comfy natural leather sofa with removable cushions and attractive patina. In original condition with visible wear ...Category
Vintage 1960s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Vintage French Large DeskLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis vintage french desk is painted with a beautiful dark green color. Can be used as a desk or counter.Category
Antique Early 19th Century French Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing T...
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century European Velvet Armchairs PairLocated in Los Angeles, CAReupholstered in a decadent brown velvet, these midcentury armchairs have a unique design with angular arms.Category
20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Kimono Art / Japanese Wall Art /Textile Art -Longevity-Located in Shibuya City, TokyoLongevity by Kimono-Couture *Japanese Kimono Art *Handmade by Kimono-Couture *One-of-a-kind Japanese Art This Wall Decoration is textile art framed with a kimono obi. The obi framed in this artwork is a wish for marriage, childbirth and success in life. Why not display this auspicious Kimono Wall Art in your favourite space? The kimono obi pattern framed in this art is explained below. This orange silk-based obi is decorated with a tortoiseshell l pattern. The tortoiseshell pattern was handed down from China during the Asuka period (592~710) in Japan. During the Heian period (794~1185), only aristocrats were allowed to use the pattern, and the general public could not even see it. Therefore, the tortoiseshell pattern is known as a sacred and prestigious pattern. The tortoiseshell pattern is a regular hexagonal pattern, derived from the shell of a turtle. The regular hexagon is said to be the most stable shape in nature, which means "sturdy and strong". Today, it is also said to be a pattern that brings good luck in money. The tortoiseshell pattern is decorated with pine trees, bamboo, plum blossoms, and flowers of the four seasons such as chrysanthemums, daffodils, autumn leaves, and peonies. In Japan, the pine, bamboo, and plum trees have been a traditional Japanese good-luck charm since around the Edo period (1603~1863). Pine trees are as long as 200 to 400 years old, and some are thousands of years old. Pine trees grow in harsh environments where other trees cannot thrive, and they are considered a symbol of vitality and longevity because of their year-round blue foliage. Bamboo is a symbol of prosperity of offspring because it grows straight and straight with new shoots. Because of its nutritional value, the plum tree played the role of a medicine against illness in ancient Japan. When a Japanese emperor fell ill, he ate...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Art
MaterialsSilk, Acrylic
- Jacques Lamy Contemporary Art "Painted Textile 1"Located in Dallas, TXOriginal work of art by French American, Dallas-based artist Jacques Lamy. One of two stained canvas "paintings" wrapped and ready for wall hanging.Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Art
MaterialsCanvas
- Jacques Lamy Contemporary Art "Painted TextileBy Jacques LamyLocated in Dallas, TXLarge Textile artwork by Dallas-based French American artist Jacques Lamy "Painted Textile 2". Stained, painted and stitched wrapped canvas. Measures...Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Contemporary Art
MaterialsCanvas
- Handmade Contemporary Textile Art by OhxojaBy Estudio OHXOJALocated in Almada, PTDream Path Tapestry is a one of a kind contemporary artwork representing a a rural portuguese landscape. This artwork is part of a collection and is handmade using tufting techniqu...Category
2010s Portuguese Contemporary Art
MaterialsWool
- Handmade Contemporary Textile Art by OhxojaBy Estudio OHXOJALocated in Almada, PTDream Path Tapestry is a one of a kind contemporary artwork representing a a rural portuguese landscape. This artwork is part of a collection and is handmade using tufting techniqu...Category
2010s Portuguese Contemporary Art
MaterialsWool, Oak
- Body Abstract Textile Art by OhxojaBy Estudio OHXOJALocated in Almada, PTBody Abstract Tapestry is a one of a kind contemporary artwork representing female body. This artwork is part of a nude collection and is handmade using tufting technique and pure ...Category
2010s Portuguese Contemporary Art
MaterialsWool, Pine