Alexander Girard, a designer's universe

Alexander Girard (1907–1993) was one of the most important modern textile artists and interior designers of the twentieth century. He worked closely with designers such as Charles Eames and George Nelson and combined Pop Art and Folk Art influences to create a colourfully opulent aesthetic language, whose impact continues to be felt today. The richly illustrated catalogue draws on the vast holdings in Alexander Girard’s private estate, which were exhaustively investigated for the first time at the Vitra Design Museum. The book presents the entire oeuvre of the multitalented Italian-American designer in all its facets while offering the first scholarly critical examination of his work. Six essays address Girard’s textile creations and graphic design for the furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, important interior design projects such as the Irwin Miller House in Columbus, Indiana (1953) and the restaurant La Fonda del Sol in New York (1960), his activities as a pioneering exhibition organizer and curator, his roots in Italy and his passion for folk art, which resulted in a collection of more than 100,000 objects and served as one of the most important sources of inspiration for his own work. In addition to extensive portfolios with never-before-shown archive material, the publication also provides the first comprehensive biography and a complete list of works.