Always exploring the social and cultural environments in which good design is created, Luminaire understands that design, whether architecture, objects, furnishings, fashion or graphic design, maintains dialogue with all of its various permutations. To demonstrate that design is not created within a vacuum, Luminaire invited Gerard van den Berg of Montis to educate the Miami public on the influence of fashion on furniture.
A curious and creative mind in a constant quest for adventure, Gerard van den Berg is known throughout the design community as a radical. Almost 35 years ago, Van den Berg established Montis with his brother Ton, creating work that deviated from the Netherlands’ tradition of solid wood furniture, and making way for, as some would say, a Dutch design renaissance. His modern pieces helped gain the Netherlands a solid reputation for distinctive work, allowing the country to compete respectably with the Italian and Danish design markets. Today the simple, graceful designs of Montis can be found in homes and businesses around the world.
In Miami, van den Berg presented his work in the context of fashion designs by Gianni Versace, Comme des Garcons, Yoji Yamamoto and Issey Miyake, all of whom are known for modest color palettes, minimal and graceful lines and forms, and an idiosyncratic avant-garde finesse. Guests were impressed to see that modernist philosophy can be adapted to various design arenas and produce within them analogous emotional responses. After experiencing how design interacts within a larger cultural context, guests came away from the exhibit with a greater understanding of the creative and social processes at work in the development of innovative design.
Wednesday, June 1, 1988
