Poul Kjærholm 2016
April 30 - July 21
Jacksons is pleased to announce our 2016 Summer Exhibition, showcasing works byDanish furniture designer Poul Kjærholm (1929-1980).
Opening: Friday, April 29, 6–9 pm
Exhibition period: April 30 – July 21, 2016
A selection of furniture has been chosen representing Kjærholm's unique understanding of construction and craftsmanship. On display are his earlier productions, made together with cabinet maker E Kold Christensen, and rare designs such as a pair of 'Holscher chairs' (1952) made exclusively for family and friends and a squared daybed, 'PK80-A' (1969), acquired from the Jens Nielsen Museum in Holstebro.
Unlike many of his contemporaries in the Danish Modernist tradition, Kjærholm adopted steel rather than wood as his material of choice. However, he treated steel with the same delicacy and care found in traditional wood cabinetmaking and dressed his steel constructions with rich, deliberately unfinished canvas, leather and woven rattan –materials that become more beautiful with age.
In 1951, Poul Kjærholm graduated from the Department of Furniture Design at the School of Arts, Crafts and Design in Copenhagen, Denmark. As early as 1958, Kjærholm received Scandinavia’s most distinguished award in crafts and design, the Lunning Prize. In 1960, he was commissioned to design Denmark’s pavilion at the XIIth Triennal in Milan and in 1959, Kjærholm began to lecture at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen. He became head of the Institute for Design in 1973, and was ultimately titled professor in 1976 until his death 4 years later. Today, his furniture designs can be seen in museums such as MoMa, Louisiana, Vitra Design Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum.
Unique coffee table with sculptural frame of black lacquered, laminated wood. Circular clear glass top. Prototype. Designed 1952. Manufactured 1952 by Fritz Hansen. Provenance: Family of Jorgen Hoyer, who worked from 1950 to 1952 with Poul Kjærholm in Fritz Hansen's office in Christianshavn.
Holscher Chair, 1952. Ref: 7150. The chair acquired its name because of the steel tube construction made by the blacksmith Svend Holscher, the father of professor Knud Holscher. Svend Holscher was a blacksmith in the small town of Rødby, his son Knud was a good friend of Poul Kjærholm. The chairs were only manufactured for the Kjærholm family and friends. The winding of the flag halyard was done by Hanne and Poul Kjærholm, Knud Holscher and in this case, Holø Bergljot.