Collecting 101

1.

Modernism and Post-War

Following the first World War, designers eschewed ornamentation and engaged technology. For this generation, there was beauty in simplicity, which was exemplified by Gerald Summers, Alvar Aalto, and Marcel Breuer, in their use of plywood. Throughout the twentieth century, designers embraced creativity and ingenuity. In 1951, the Festival of Britain celebrated a Modernist, utopian vision of the future. The festival showcased design of all disciplines, including those by Ernest Race and Robin Day. Designs from the post-war period remain popular today – not least Day’s ubiquitous stacking chair, an everyday emblem of the 1960s and its boom in mass-produced consumer goods, in addition to Gerald Abramovitz's 'Cantilever' desk lamp, which won the Design Centre Award in 1966. 

2.

Ceramics

Considered the ‘father’ of British studio pottery, Bernard Leach established Leach Pottery in St. Ives in 1920. Leach had studied in Japan under master potter Ogata Konzan, subsequently returning to England with a reverence for the ancient medium.  Combining Japanese and Chinese influences within the tradition of British pottery, Leach created works such as this earthenware charger with ‘Tree of Life’ design.

While World War II interrupted ceramic production in England, it introduced important figures, including Lucie Rie and Hans Coper, who would become leading proponents of British studio ceramics. Having fled Vienna in 1938, Rie established her practice in London, where she became renowned for her modernist forms and experimental glazes. In 1946, Coper began working in Rie's studio, later establishing his own practice, creating abstract and sculptural works that elevated ceramics to the realm of fine art. Appreciation for ceramics has continued to develop as a new generation of potters, such as Edmund de Waal, reinvigorate the ancient art form.

3.

Contemporary

Converging in London during the 1980s, three designers Tom Dixon, Ron Arad, and Mark Brazier-Jones - plundered skips and scrap yards for materials, forming the Creative Salvage movement. Their resourceful, inventive, and punk-rock approach was recently celebrated in Accidents Will Happen: Creative Salvage, 1981–1991 at Friedman Benda in New York.

The central figures of the Creative Salvage movement have continued to develop their respective practices achieving great individual success. Ron Arad, whose breakthrough design was the ‘Rover chair’, inspired the designer Danny Lane when he visited Arad’s first shop in the 1980s. Lane began experimenting with metal, glass, and wood, producing furniture and monumental sculptures. Notably there is also the seminal work of U.K. based designer Marc Newson whose many commissions included the Coast Restaurant, London.

4.

On the Market

The past 50 years there has been a growing appreciation of the cultural impact of Twentieth Century Design within Britain, with private collectors and important institutions acquiring works for their collections.

Modern and contemporary ceramicists such as Lucie Rie, Hans Coper, Magdalene Odundo, and Edmund de Waal continue to achieve strong results. Recently, Magdalene Odundo’s, ‘Symmetrical Terracotta Piece’, achieved six times its high estimate at Bonhams in the Modern Decorative Art + Design sale. This remarkable result of $362,812 inc. premium is testament to Odundo’s recognition within the field of Contemporary Ceramics, alongside solo exhibitions at The Hepworth Wakefield, and The Fitzwilliam Museum.

 

We are currently consigning for our 2022 Design auctions. If you are looking to consign any pieces or if you have any questions for the department, please contact design@bonhams.com or submit your item online.