b) Contextual essay
ALVAR AALTO, ARMCHAIR 41 PAIMIO
Alvar Aalto was a Finnish architect and a leading modern furniture designer of the 20th century. Some of Aalto’s iconic works include his chair “Paimio” (1931) with bentwood elements and his vase “Savoy” (1936) which demonstrates Aalto’s foundation for organic design. Aalto rejected artificial materials such as steel tubing for his furniture. Instead, Aalto’s style included the use of wood a “form- inspiring, profoundly human material.” Aalto’s use of organic forms inspired many designers after him. Aalto’s unique style grew out of passion for painting and a fascination for the works of cubist artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Brague.
The frame of “Arm Chair 41 Paimio” is made from laminated birch, a timber plentiful in Finland. The seat is made from plywood painted in white or black. The timber gets its form with the process of wood bending. The process includes layering plywood veneer with evenly spread glue in between. The veneers are then placed into the mould. The clamps are tightened around the mould to hold the veneer in the desired shape.
By the time “Arm Chair 41 Paimio” was made in 1931, Modernism had entered popular culture. Mainstream Modernism consisted of straight edges, simple shapes and new materials to eliminate ornamentation, inspired by the Bauhaus movement. In contrast, because the Industrial Revolution came late to Scandinavia, designers such as Aalto created modern design using traditional materials such as wood.
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