The Life And Times Of The Design Genius Harry Bertoia


Famous for his collection of Bertoia Chairs, Harry Bertoia was born on 10th March 1915 in San Lorenzo, Pordenone, Italy. When he was fifteen years old he went to Detroit to see his brother. His decision to remain in the USA, was to be life changing. He went to Cass Technical High School, where he discovered the art of making jewelry. He went on to study at the Art School of Detroit Society of Arts (College of Creative Studies) in 1938. He won a scholarship to attend the Cranbrook Academy of Art in 1939. This is where he met Ray and Charles Eames for the first time.

His professional life started off in his workshop teaching metal work and jewelry design. Metal was scarce during the war years and it was for this rather practical reason that he focused on jewelry making at that time.

He met his wife Brigitta Valentier in the 1940's and they moved to California to work with the Eames'. They worked on a variety of projects at the time, including a project with Eerio Saarinen which resulted in a method for creating moulded plywood splints. This project resulted in a process for designing furniture.

Initially the pieces, upholstered to varying degrees over a molded lattice of steel rods, were made by hand. Controversy ensued when an action by Herman Miller claimed that the patent for part of the collections design, incorporating two thin wires welded on either side of the mesh seat had been granted to Eames. Herman Miller won the action and the Bertoia collection was re-designed utilizing a heavier, single wire and grinding down the edge of the seat wire at a smooth angle.

The Diamond Lounge Chair was a commercial success and the Bertoia Chair Collection was born. This collection includes: the Bertoia Diamond Chair, the Bird Chair, the Bertoia Side Chair, the Bar Stool and the Asymmetric Chaise. Bertoia's experimentation with the idea of bending metal rods into functional art pieces, produced a collection of designer chairs which have been praised by the international design community. His chairs were first manufactured by Knoll in 1952. That they continue production to-day just shows that the designs are genuinely timeless. In 1957 he became a fellow at the Graham Foundation in Chicago. During this time, his work focused on the relationship between sound and metal and in particular the sounds produced by touching the metal or wind passing through it.

The American Institute of Architects recognised the design genius of Harry Bertoia. His collection of contemporary chairs, designed in the 1950's form an important part of his legacy, so far immortalising his name.

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