"Most people spend their lives living in dreary, beige conformity, mortally afraid of using colors. The main purpose of my work is to provoke people into using their imagination and make their surroundings more exciting." -Verner Panton Couldn't agree with you more, Verner.
We're tired of the dullness and beigeness and conformity of American homes today, so we decided to write a series about design icons. If you don't know a Panton from a Pantone, can't tell the difference between Le Corbu and Le Sport Sac or think Chippendale was a pair of cartoon rodents, strap in, it's gonna be a fun ride.
Scandinavian furniture was known in the 1950s for avant garde design, but Danish designer Verner Panton was one of the first to break from the tradition of using only solid woods. He became famous for his fun and sexy designs in the 1960s. His furniture still looks fresh, exciting and vibrant 50 years after it was first designed.
Panton first made waves in 1959 with the Cone chair, originally designed for his parents' restaurant. Notice how the entire chair, defying gravity, pivots on the base on a single point? Shown here is the Heart variation of the Cone chair. This chair was so ahead of its time, when it was displayed in a New York City store window in 1959, the police had to be called to disperse the crowds that formed.
Panton's furniture captured the spirit of the 60s: hello to individualism and fun in interiors; goodbye to dreary, beige conformity. Groovy, baby.
· Vitra Verner Panton Heart Chair [Hive Modern]
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