George Nelson

George Nelson (1908-1986) along with Charles and Ray Eames are known as some of the founding fathers of mid-century modern furniture. He was not only a designer but also an architect. When writing about the course of his remarkable 50-year career, George Nelson described a series of creative "zaps" — moments of out-of-the-blue inspiration "when the solitary individual finds he is connected with a reality he never dreamed of.

Nelson said that for a designer to deal creatively with human needs, "he must first make a radical, conscious break with all values he identifies as anti-human." Designers also must constantly be aware of the consequences of their actions on people and society. In fact, he declared that "total design is nothing more or less than a process of relating everything to everything." So he said that rather than specializing, designers must cultivate a broad base of knowledge and understanding.

* Items listed on this page are reproductions of the original design. Items are not produced by the actual designer nor are they affiliated with the official manufacturers. Any mention of the designer or original product name is only for comparison purposes. *