Collablog

Last Fall we updated the Vignelli Poster display in our galleries. The galleries are closed due to Covid-19, here’s a closer look at the posters on display! Next up: Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS) “Architecture in Japan” 

In 1973, Massimo Vignelli agreed to do all the graphics and publications for the Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS). IAUS was an independent non-profit institute for the study of architecture. They provided an alternative to architecture eduction focusing on design practice as well as the theory and history of the field. IAUS offered a variety of educational courses, publications and programming such exhibitions, lectures, tours, etc.

This poster was designed by Michael Bierut while working at Vignelli Associates and is based off the layout of Massimo Vignelli’s earlier exhibition poster for “A New Wave of Austrian Architecture,” which is also on display in our galleries in a separate case with other publications for the IAUS. 

Text from poster: “From May 26 to June 23, 1984, the Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies and the Pratt Institute, School of Architecture will co-sponsor a unique, four-week program exploring traditional and modern architecture in Japan. The long and venerated history of Japanese architecture will be surveyed primarily through a series of field trips, as well as slide-illustrated lectures by the program faculty; contemporary directions will be examined through on-site presentations and special guest lectures by leading Japanese architects and critics.”

Publications included not only the exhibition catalogs and also a series of books of writing by architects, the journal Oppositions, and other promotion brochures about programming and education at IAUS.

ICYMI, read the other posts about the updated poster display to have a virtual tour of the poster gallery: https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/search/gallery+guide

And more about the IAUS: https://vignellicenter.tumblr.com/search/iaus

Stay tuned for more about the posters!

Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS) “Architecture in Japan” poster, 1984 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS) “A New Wave of Japanese Architecture” exhibition flyer and catalog, 1978 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS) “New Wave of Austrian Architecture” poster and catalog, 1980 Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Institute of Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS) “Oppositions: A Journal for Ideas and Criticism in Architecture” Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Adolf Loos “Spoken Into the Void: Collected Essays 1897-1900″ Massimo and Lella Vignelli Papers Vignelli Center for Design Studies Rochester, New York

Lap Pool House, Tinos, Greece,

*Long Read Alert* but important …..

Something happened to me this week that got me thinking about vintage & antiques and what those words really mean. I’ve seen it many times when pieces of furniture are called vintage or antique and really they are nothing more than mass produced pieces designed to “look” like antiques. We call these “Reproduction” pieces, and calling them antique or vintage is an absolute no no and an injustice, both to the consumer and an entire sector of the design industry who make a living specifically out of sourcing, procuring and selling these pieces. It’s like calling a cubic zirconia a diamond and paying the same price for it when really it has very little value.

So what defines a piece as vintage or antique?. In our islands, antique is defined as a piece that is 100 years old or older. Vintage is a little more complex to define because it’s not written in law, but it’s generally accepted as a piece with significant age ie. 40 yrs or older. If it’s 10 yrs old…. it’s not vintage.

Part of my job is to educate clients on the value of these pieces and that word really is the key. Some of the most respected companies in this field such as @1stdibs, @chairishco @pamono_uk @dustydeco @galerie_half @galerieprovenance to name a few, showcase the most incredible pieces from all over the globe and have really tapped into the value of this industry, and by value I don’t just mean monetary, but also uniqueness, rarity & craftsmanship. You wouldn’t catch any of these companies selling mass produced goods from China and passing them off as the real deal.

Now there is nothing wrong with buying reproduction pieces, aside from perhaps the sustainability perspective, but out of respect, call them what they are! Reproduction antique or vintage “style” and also price them to reflect this. They aren’t bad words, they just aren’t the really thing.

We have lots of unique vintage rattan and bamboo pieces coming soon and a few already on island. Viewing by appointment! 💫