Christian Tedeschi work at the Telegraph Art Collective presented at the Oakland University Gallery showed an Eames plastic chair knockoff placed in front of a television playing all static, complete with a set of headphones resting in the middle of the chair.

The chair has been wrapped hundreds and hundreds of times in speaker wire, so that at first you don't realize it is seperated from the chair. The wire stretches off the chair and terminates at the headphones – which play the repetitive sounds of static displayed on the TV screen.  Check out more of his work here.

From Aaron R. Thomas Design  comes another Eames design cast in a different material.  This time its acrylic.  Check out more of his work HERE.

Image credits + Copyright: Aaron R. Thomas Design

 Herman Miller-sponsored charity auction to raise money for the Peace House Foundation. Each of the eleven participating designers and design firms were given an Eames’ classic “potato chip chair” to modify.

PHF spokesperson Bari Trontz told AssociatedContent.com that "the $24,000 raised at this event will support the Peace House Foundation in their efforts to educate Tanzania's most vulnerable children. The success of the Herman Miller event," she added, "is a testament to the enormous compassion and generosity on behalf of the design community in New York."

One of the designers for Pentagram created a Pincushion chair that was inspired by a typeface she designed called Pincushion. “We wanted to think of the object as something soft that could be punctured, in this case, with large hatpins, giving it the feeling of a pincushion” she said. “In our expression, the chair becomes a purely visual, rather than a utilitarian object.”

Other participants included Ayse Birsel, David Rockwell,Maharam and Todd Oldham.  Celebrated designer Oldham's work received the highest bid-$3,000-of all the completed chair designs,an image is shown below.

I haven't been able to track down images of the other designs but will try and do so shortly.

Image Credits + Copyright: Herman Miller 

The Xlounge by American artist/designer Mark Wentzel.

The conceptual weight of a design and the consumption of American culture are the focus of "XLounge" by Mark Wentzel. Wentzel explores the masterful design of the Eames Lounge Chair and it's significance today.  His interest in the design revolves around the gap between the public's endearment for old products and it's commitment to increasingly transitory "cutting edge" products.  Wentzel believes this gap to be fertile ground for creative expression.  XLounge takes on the responsibilities of it's time of creation, as Wentzel states all works should, by relying on the ingeniousness of the sleek Eames Lounge Chair design while displaying the disproportionate consumption of Americans.

Xlounge was shown at Project 4 Gallery's (Washington DC) Useless exhibition.

The Washington Post interviewed Mark and asked him this question about his work.

Why is your chair obese?
"The piece is obviously about consumption. It gives the opportunity to a particular viewer to grab their stomach and say, "Wow. That's me." I felt that this Eames chair was a crucial part of American iconography -- I think it really resonates with a wide range of people. And the standard structure of the Eames lounger was conducive to expanding its upholstery. I thought of using a La-Z-Boy. But you can't easily make a La-Z-Boy any fatter than it is. You can just make it bigger."

 This ads produced between 1952 and 1963 and were run in magazines such as House beautiful, Sunset, Brides magazine, Better homes and gardens. One is titled " Americas Most famous modern chair" can now be yours for only $25.00 (DCM DCW LCM LCW)

And one that I found most interesting was published in 1963 entitled "Beware of Imitations" and shows just how long Herman Miller has been dealing with the issue of reproductions.

Image credits and original link: Herman Miller .

Following up with the last post about the "Get Real" campaign, it looks as if Herman Miller was not ready to stop at just 2d advertising and traditional media and wants to squash reproductions at their virtual begginings.

 

Herman Miller announced that it would be entering Second Life with help from Rivers Run Red.

 

Bringing authentic, authorized designs to Second Life, It will be offering a collection of 15 pieces for L$300-L$850, or approximately U.S. $1.40 to $3.50, but users that have bought knockoffs in the past will get the new pieces for free. … Those taking advantage of this limited-time, honor-based offer need only delete their old inventory and then “Get Real.”

The entire collection will be available exclusively at “Herman Miller Real Goods,” a virtual retail store within Avalon Island in Second Life.  Easy access to the Herman Miller Real Goods store can be had through www.hermanmiller.com/virtualworld. Existing Second Life residents can link directly to the in-world store, 

Visitors to Herman Miller Real Goods will be able to browse or buy the in-world designs, gather detailed info to product pages on Herman Miller's web site, or link to a real world listing of retailers and commercial dealers where they can purchase the actual pieces.

Apparently the people who have been creating these knockoffs in second life have been hearing from the companies lawyers:

"[W]e've contacted those parties and informed them of our trade dress protections, copyrights and trademarks they are infringing, asking politely but firmly that they cease and desist," the firm's pokesman, appropriately named MarkSchurman HermanMiller, tells me. "Some have complied, others have countered with proposed partnerships, and some have yet to respond."

Here are a few pictures from their virtual store and a link to their press release.  

"Check the Source" and "Check your Conscience".  These are a few of the headlines that HM used to kick off their "Get Real" campaign.

First launced at the 2003 International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), that took place in New York City.  The campaign is designed to alert consumers to the ethical and economic implications related to the purchase of design knock-offs, rather than supporting original designs and their designers.

The  "Get Real" arrives on the heels of recent developments that provide stricter legal protections to original, iconic Herman Miller designs.

Here is the original press release from Herman Miller: 

 

New York's 2003 International Contemporary Furniture Fair marks company launch of concerted campaign for awareness and education against knock-offs

Imitation has been called the sincerest form of flattery, but in the domain of furniture design it is deceptive to consumers and specifiers, damaging to the designers, manufacturers, and distributors of original designs, and inhibits new investments in innovation.

For many years Herman Miller, Inc., has been in the vanguard of a growing movement to promote the genuine articles--protecting both the unsuspecting buyer and the intellectual property rights of the original designer and manufacturer, while ensuring the commercial incentive for future innovations.

Herman Miller is taking its commitment to a new level with the launch of its "Get Real" campaign, an awareness and education program that will be the centerpiece of the company's presence at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, held May 17-20, 2003, at New York City's Javits Convention Center. Herman Miller, located in Booth 414 at the Javits, will be showing select furniture designed by Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, Isamu Noguchi and Alvar Aalto. The Eames, Nelson and Noguchi designs are Herman Miller originals, dating from the company's collaboration with these acknowledged masters of American modernism. Herman Miller is the exclusive North American distributor of original Aalto designs through partnership with Artek, the legendary Finnish manufacturer of the extensive and celebrated Aalto collection.

"Since Herman Miller has such a storied and extensive design heritage, it stands to reason that we would be a leader in the campaign for authenticity," said Ray Kennedy, Director of Herman Miller for the Home. "Original design is the driving force behind Herman Miller's commitment to innovation--and everyone needs to recognize it is the lifeblood of a vital furniture industry."

Added Marg Mojzak, Senior Marketing Manager of Herman Miller for the Home: "Many consumers are simply unaware that they are buying knock-offs rather than the real thing. A component of the campaign is about equipping the buyer with the information he or she needs to identify whether the item is authentic. We also want to raise awareness of the important ethical and economic implications in supporting original designs and their designers."

The launch of Herman Miller's "Get Real" campaign at the ICFF exhibition comes amid recent legal developments affording "trade dress" protection to original, iconic Herman Miller designs. In November of 2002, the Noguchi Coffee Table, designed by Isamu Noguchi for Herman Miller in 1944, received this important legal distinction. In March 2003, Herman Miller received notice that the same powerful protection is also forthcoming for the Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, designed by Charles and Ray Eames for Herman Miller in 1956. The United States Patent and Trademark Office recognizes these designs as synonymous with their original designers and manufacturer, and holds that a likeness of these designs cannot be produced or distributed in the U.S. by unauthorized parties.

"We're seeing case after case in which the designers and producers of original products, who have followed the prescribed intellectual property law registration procedures, are winning substantial settlements, judgments, and legal protections" noted Henry Gowin, Secretary of the Foundation for Design Integrity, a group of leading furniture designers, manufacturers and distributors that are dedicated to promoting the protection of original design. "The days when nothing could be done about knock-offs are over. The public is becoming increasingly aware of intellectual property protection (patents, trademarks, trade dress and copyrights) and the importance of supporting original design, while the knock-off producers are learning the consequences of infringement."

A series of advertisements created for Herman Miller's "Get Real" campaign urge readers to make an informed and ethical choice. The headlines invite the buyer to "Check the Source" and "Check your Conscience" as they contemplate the purchase of an original or a knock-off.

"Remember," implores one of the ads, "knock-offs don't pay royalties to the original designer. They aren't produced according to designer specifications. And they don't meet (Herman Miller's) standards of quality and durability. Now go, with a clear conscience, and get the real thing."

Herman Miller's ICFF exhibit will feature the Eames Lounge and Ottoman, Eames Molded Plywood chairs, Eames Storage Units, Eames Wire Chair with Bikini Pad, Nelson Marshmallow Sofa, Nelson Coconut Chair, Nelson Platform Bench, Noguchi Coffee Table, Aalto Tea Trolley 900, Aalto Stool 60 (in a special 70th Anniversary Edition in Curly Birch), among others--and all of them--to be sure--produced according to authorized specifications.

Below is a TV advertisment that was used along with the campaign.

I would try to tell you a little more background on the images, but the site they are located on is written entirely in Japanese.  From the looks of it, it might even be a Herman Miller showroom? or just a japanese business obsessed with pimping their office in Eames designs.  There are quite a few more images on their site if your interested: Wakuiworks.

Disrespectful or a piece of art?

Maarten Bass a dutch artist would like you to think the latter.

His exhibit "Where There's Smoke" for Moss
where they state "Bass re-sculpts these design icons with flame, careful to preserve their structural integrity and thereby their original functionality. Their authorship and identity altered, they become revisionist, highly personal, audacious expressions of the artist."

Baas stamps each one with his own name after he is finished.

"Why do we want to have the same expression of beauty?" he is quoted as saying in a Washington Post article

Baas launched himself as a blowtorch designer with a graduation project at the Design Academy Eindhoven and you can see more of his design work HERE.

I personally see the work as hauntingly beautiful and it seems to have something to say about luxury and idols in our current society.  What are your thoughts? 

Found over at the MOMA store these set of 4 acrylic coasters featuring a different Eames chair in black: the 1948 LaChaise , the 1951 Wire Side Chair , the 1956 Lounge Chair and Ottoman , and the 1946 Molded Plywood Chair with Metal Legs. The durable coasters have the look of glass and retail at the store for $18.00

Found at the Eames Office

This order form entitled "Eames Chairs of Zenaloy" With the "Zenaloy," a reference to Zenith Plastics with whom the Eames Office closely collaborated with.

I guess it shouldn't suprise me that even the order forms have a certain level of design to them. 

I also wouldn't mind seeing those prices next to the chairs again.

Image Credits 

This spotting comes from the blog http://blog.filife.com who posted about the financial planning company Ameriprise   

Using the LCW as their "Red Chair" in several commericals and promentatly integrating it onto their website.

Check out the Web integration HERE.