Herman Miller announces Then x Ten - an exhibition celebrating the power of the poster

28th July, 2012

Herman Miller, with its designers, has shaped the world of modern furniture design as we know it. But the company's influence is not limited to product design and manufacturing - equally acclaimed are the now iconic art and illustration posters which were used to promote Herman Miller's highly sought-after furniture through much of the last century.
The idea of the exhibition Then x Ten is to celebrate the power of the poster and in so doing continue Herman Miller's distinct association with design history.

Ten of the world's leading image-makers of today, including Craig Redman and Jonathan Zawada from Australia, have been commissioned by AGDA Members Fabio Ongarato Design to create a unique piece of artwork referencing the Herman Miller brand. Together with a special collection of posters from the past, curated by Steve Frykholm, Herman Miller's creative director of 42 years, they will hang at Australia's premier contemporary gallery, fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne from August 14-25.

Herman Miller is one of the few brands in the world, and certainly unique within the furniture industry, to have an artistic expression. Herman Miller's affinity to graphic design stems back to collaboration with great talents such as Don Ervin and Armin Hofmann and continues to the present day with Steve Frykholm. Posters and collateral designed to champion Herman Miller's products over the years have taken on a life of their own - becoming collectors' items sought after by individuals and museums across the world.
Then x Ten echoes elements of Herman Miller's past and brings them into the present day. Inviting a new generation of image-makers to participate is a way of continuing the company's history of art collaboration and visually capturing the essence of the brand in modern times.

 

 

Then x Ten is a celebration of the past, but it's also about something new. Creative, imaginative and original, Then x Ten will serve to continue the company's long-term design dialogue.

Each piece of artwork will be strictly limited to 10 prints, screen printed in Melbourne, Australia and will be exhibited during Saturday in Design 2012. The full exhibition will tour throughout the Asia Pacific region, beginning with Saturday in Design Singapore in October 2012.

Notes - full list of artists
Eda Akaltun (Turkey); Emily Forgot (UK); Genevieve Gauckler (France); Sanghon Kim (Korea); Keiichi Tanaami (Japan); Mryzk & Morcieau (France); Felix Pfaffli (Switzerland); Craig and Karl (Australia); Kam Tang (Hong Kong); Jonathan Zawada (Australia).

Steve Frykholm
Steve Frykholm has directed Herman Miller's graphic identity for over 40 years. His iconic work has been widely published and exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, The Cooper-Hewitt and National Design Museum. In 2010, the American Institute of Graphic Arts awarded Frykholm the AIGA Medal - the highest honour of the American graphic design profession, in recognition of a lifetime of achievement.
As the Creative Director and Vice President of Herman Miller, Frykholm has demonstrated the ability for great design to influence business and has in turn motivated many corporations to follow suit. Steve Frykholm will be curating the selection of iconic posters from the Herman Miller archives to be exhibited at fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne and then travelling through Asia Pacific in 2012-2013.

Herman Miller
Herman Miller works for a better world around you - with inventive designs, technologies and related services that improve the human experience wherever people work, heal, learn, and live. Its curiosity, ingenuity, and design excellence create award-winning products and services, resulting in more than $1.6 billion in revenue in fiscal 2011. Innovative business practices and a commitment to social responsibility have also established Herman Miller as a recognised global company. In 2011, Herman Miller again received the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's top rating in its annual Corporate Equality Index and was also cited by FORTUNE as the "Most Admired" company in the contract furniture industry. Herman Miller trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol MLHR.

Links:
www.hermanmiller.com
www.fortyfivedownstairs.com/events/then-x-ten-the-power-of-the-poster/