Disajn

AT A FURIOUS PACE we see chairs, tables and lamps rush by. Before they even make it to the store, they have drowned in the flood of newer furniture. Often producers gasp for air by soon launching the same product in a new color or new material so that it will survive a little longer. How are we to open our eyes to the products that already exist? Alexander Lervik has made an entire project out of the question, giving internationally recognized photographers such as Brendan Austin, Vee Speers, Gunnar Smoliansky, Annika von Hausswolff and Dawid free rein to interpret the designer's chairs.

The odd chair Spikechair is available in a limited edition.

Why chairs specifically?

— For my graduation project I did the stool project Ten stools ten decades, so it was fun to work with the same theme. The chair is always a central object for a designer, I guess I have made about 20 of them. The challenge is to make it good-looking and comfortable despite its small dimensions.

Sense lightswing, 2005, for SAAS instruments is a play with LED and gained attention.

Often several designers present very similar chairs around the same time. Why are so few doing something completely different? — The signs of the times affect everyone very sharply, we are influenced by the same things. That was what was so interesting to see with my graduation project. I have made a couple of chairs that go in completely different directions, like the Spike chair. It is available in a limited edition and there are a few left. But the one that has sold by far the best is the Studio chair.

Do you think any of the chairs gained new life through the new photographs?

— All of them were interpreted in a way I had not expected at all. Chair 44, which Vee Speers photographed, gained an entirely new dimension thanks to the body. I also like the swing picture, which is very poetic.

How did you choose the photographers?

— I have had a mentor, Sune Nordgren (art critic and museum director, editor's note), who recommended photographers. Some I have known from before and some I found myself on blogs and in magazines. I didn't want product photographers, so therefore I chose fashion and rock photographers and artists. Then it was just a matter of sending an email.

Vee Speers had her daughter pose naked on Chair 44, 2006 for Daredutch, and the picture gave the chair completely new lines, Alexander thinks.

Studio, 2004, Alexander's best-selling chair.

Why do you think they accepted? — Because they were given total freedom. If they wanted, they could place an elephant in front of the chair so only one leg stuck out. They are used to either having freedom but only working for themselves, or getting an assignment from someone else, but with lots of demands. Here they got to work with an assignment and have freedom. They chose the chair themselves and the payment was that they got to keep it. That was enough. Mary Ellen Mark got in touch and said she was going to have a dog party that she was going to photograph, so she needed more chairs.

— A few said no. Anton Corbijn replied that he was fully booked with film shoots, but otherwise he would have done it. Lennart Nilsson declined due to his age. He didn't have the energy. Do you think your chairs will be rediscovered now?

— I certainly hope so. That people see them from another angle and a new dimension.

An exhibition with the chairs and the photographs, 15 chairs — 15 years — 15 photographers, has been shown during the autumn in Alexander Lervik's studio in collaboration with Galleri Kleerup. For those who missed it, there is the photo book of the same name, and in connection with New York's furniture fair this spring, the exhibition will be shown at the gallery Modern objects and design, which opens in New York before the turn of the year.

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l ETT RÅSÅNDE TEMPO ser vi stolar, bord och

lampor rusa forbi. Innan de ens hinner till butiken har de drunknat i floden av nyare mébler. Ofta kippar producenterna

Udda stolen Spikechair — efterluft genom att snart lansera samma produktiny färg eller nytt finnsIbegrénsad upplaga. — materialför att de ska överleva lite léingre. Hur ska vi få upp 6gonen för de produkter som redan finns? Alexander Lervik har gjort ett helt projekt av fragan där han ger internationellt erkända foto- grafer som Brendan Austin, Vee Speers, Gunnar Smoliansky, Annika von Hausswolff och Dawid fria händer att gestalta form- givarens stolar.

Varfor just stolar?

— Jag gjorde som examensarbete pallprojektet Tio pallar tio artionden så det var kul med samma tema. Stolen är alltid ett centrait objekt för en formgivare, jag har vl gjort ett 20-tal. Utmaningen är att få den snygg och bekvam trots sina små matt.

Ofta kommer flera formgivare med snarlika stolar ungefär samtidigt. Varfor är Sense lightswing, 2005, for SAAS e det så fa som gor nagot helt annat? instruments är en lek mefj LED och gav — Tidens tecken paverkar alla véldigt :Letzaéi:zv::fl(:;?:pmarksamhn. . skarpt, vi influeras av samma saker. Det

olifie o . L m = var det som var så intressant att se med mitt examensarbete. Jag har gjort ett par stolar som %'ö gar at helt andra hall, som Spikestolen. Den finns "q,‘ — i limiterad upplaga och det finns nagra kvar. Men — crap den som salt absolut bäst är Studio-stolen.

Tycker du att nagon av stolarna fick nytt liv genom de nya fotografierna?

= Allihop tolkades pa ett sätt jag inte väntat mig alls. Chair 44 som Vee Speers platade, fick en helt ny dimension tack vare kroppen. Jag gillar ocks4 gungbilden som är väldigt poetisk.

Hur valde du fotograferna?

= Jag har haft en mentor, Sune Nordgren (konstkritiker och museichef red.anm.), som har rekommenderat fotografer. Vissa har jag kiint sedan tidigare och vissa har jag själv hittat pa bloggar och i tidningar. Jag ville inte ha produktfotografer så därför har jag valt mode- och rockfotografer och konstnärer. Sedan var det bara att mejla.

Vee Speers lät sin dotter Varför tror du att de nappade? posera naken på Chair 4 — För att de fick total frihet. Om de ville fick de stilla en elefant 44,2006 för Daredutch, framfér stolen så bara ena benet stack fram. De är vana att an- och bilden gav stolen - . : A3 Da . Studio, 2004, för helt nya linjer tycker tingen ha frihet men bara jobba for sig sjdlva eller fa ett uppdrag ;‘:’:"5"::95'3" Alexander. av ndgon annan, men ha massa krav. Här fick de jobba med ett lexanders

mest sålda stol. uppdrag och ha frihet. De valde stol själva och betalningen var att de fick behålla den. Det räckte. Mary Ellen Mark hörde av sig och berättade att hon skulle ha hundparty som hon skulle foto- grafera så hon behövde fler stolar.

— Några har sagt nej. Anton Corbijn svarade att han var full- belagd med filminspelningar, men annars skulle han gjort det. Lennart Nilsson avböjde på grund av sin ålder. Han orkade inte. Tror du att dina stolar kommer att aterupptickas nu?

— Jag hoppas ju det. Att folk ser de fran ett annat hall och ny dimension.

En utstéllning med stolarna och fotografierna, 15 stolar — 15 år — 15 fotografer, har visats under hésten i Alexander Lerviks studio i samarbete med Galleri Kleerup. För dig som missade den finns fotoboken med samma namn och i samband med New yorks möbelmässa i vår kommer utställningen att visas på galleri Modern objects and design som öppnas i New york innan årsskiftet. [d]

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