Energizing the Everyday: Gifts from the George R. Kravis II Collection

about

Exhibition on view through March 12, 2017

Energizing the Everyday recognizes the collecting vision of George R. Kravis II and its synergy with Cooper Hewitt’s broad and diverse collection of modern and contemporary design. An early interest in records and a background in broadcasting inform Kravis’s enthusiasm for and knowledge of radios, televisions, and technology. As Kravis’s passion for design grew, he expanded his collecting efforts beyond American electronic devices to include industrial design and furnishings for the home and office from the United States, Europe and Asia. The exhibition features highlights of the Kravis collection dating from the early 20th century to the present. From industrial design and furniture to tableware and textiles, the exhibition makes visual and material connections across time and geography to relate the far-reaching impact of design on the enhancement of daily life.

video

Using design objects from the current exhibition Energizing the Everyday: Gifts from the George R. Kravis II Collection and works from Cooper Hewitt’s collection, Curatorial Director Cara McCarty examines how scientific inquiry, technology, and our persistent fascination with manipulating materials—from plastics and aluminum to silicon chips and LCDs—have impacted modern industrial design, as well as our desire for increasingly responsive and customized products.

highlights

Vanity Model 3920 1939 Designed by Gilbert Rohde (American, 1894 – 1944) Manufactured by Herman Miller Furniture Company (Zeeland, Michigan, USA) East Indian laurel, Sequoia burl, oak, acrylic, brass, patinated steel, leather, mirrored glass H x W x D: 127 × 127 × 43.2 cm (50 × 50 × 17 in.) Gift of George R. Kravis II, 2016 5 19 a/d Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Poster, America’s Answer! Production 1942 Designed by Jean Carlu (French, active United States, 1900 – 1997) Printed by the U.S. Government Printing Office Published by the Office of Emergency Management (USA) Offset lithograph on paper 76.2 × 101.6 cm (30 × 40 in.) Promised gift of George R. Kravis II Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Waterwitch Model MB 571.11 Outboard Motor Ca. 1937 Designed by John Richard Morgan (American, born Canada, 1903-1986) Manufactured by Kissel Motor Company (Hartford, Wisconsin, USA) Distributed by Sears, Roebuck and Co. (Chicago, Illinois, USA) Cast aluminum, steel, brass, molded rubber H x W x D: 93.5 × 40.5 × 55.5 cm (36 13/16 × 15 15/16 × 21 7/8 in.) Promised gift of George R. Kravis II Photo: Matt Flynn © Smithsonian Institution

Stereo Cabinet, RR-126, 1965 Designed by Achille Castiglioni Manufactured by Brionvega, S.p.A. Designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Chipboard, plastic laminate, Perspex, aluminum, H x W x D: 92.5 × 61.5 × 36.5 cm (36 7/16 × 24 3/16 × 14 3/8 in.) manufactured in: Milan, Italy Promised gift of George R. Kravis II, 7065.75a/c.2015

From a curvaceous 1939 Gilbert Rohde vanity to a Castiglioni stereo cabinet from the swinging sixties, explore all the works featured in Energizing the Everyday online.