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Here is a very rare and desirable vintage exhibition poster displaying a very stylish representation of the PK24 chair by the Danish designer Poul Kjrholm.
The exhibition was set up in Ligne, Belgium in 1983 to commemorate Poul Kjrholm’s great designs and chairs. This poster displays the PK24 “Hammock chaise” which has a sculptural form with a classic design – it is a minimal design – yet striking. As Kjrholm used to say: “..we should make our designs as simple as possible”. Another version of this poster exist from Louisiana 1982, also available.
The elegant PK24 chaise is suitable for any environment, from lounges and waiting areas to private homes and so is this very cool poster. Kjrholm had a particular interest in various construction materials – especially steel, which he considered a natural material.
It is a true marvel of a poster that must been experienced in reality in order to capture its true beauty.
Artist: Bo Bonflis/Poul Kjrholm
Print: Offset lithography (Print by Permild Rosengreen)Creator: Poul Kjrholm (Designer)Design: PK 24Dimensions: Height: 0.01 in (0.1 mm)Width: 29.93 in (76 cm)Depth: 22.05 in (56 cm)Style: Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: PaperPlace of Origin: DenmarkPeriod: 1980-1989Date of Manufacture: 1983Condition: GoodWear consistent with age and use.Seller Location: WIJCKEL, NLReference Number: 1stDibs: LU8306239277972
PK24 Lounge Chair
Designed by Poul Kjrholm
At first glance, the sleek, minimal shape of the PK24 lounge chair might appear to have little in common with the ornate, carved wood chaise longues of the French Rococo period, but that was indeed the inspiration for Poul Kjrholm’s design. As Kjrholm (192980) proved, reinterpreting a design that was perhaps the furthest possible thing from the principles of modernism was a monumental demonstration of his mastery of them.
Kjrholm referred to his PK24 lounge chair as the hammock chair. He assigned numerals to all of his furniture to indicate their place in a specific series and type of furnishing, while his preceding initials were added after his death. There were many chairs, such as the PK22, as well as tables, sofas and more, although the PK24 is arguably Kjrholms most recognizable chair.
After training as a carpenter and graduating from Copenhagens Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Kjrholm went on to devise a series of boundary-pushing furniture pieces for his friend Ejvind Kold Christensen, who produced them under the name E. Kold Christensen in Hellerup, Denmark. The partnership was somewhat of an artists dream, with Christensen granting his friend near total artistic freedom. It paid off: By 1960, Kjrholm had twice been awarded the Grand Prize at the Milan Triennale.
While many of Kjrholms contemporaries associated with Scandinavian modernism were opting for wood as their primary medium, the designer experimented with mixed materials and favored metal for his frames.
For the PK24 lounge chair, designed in 1965, Kjrholm created a sinuous seat of woven wicker that he topped with a leather bolster cushion and placed on a frame of stainless steel. By doing so, he showcased each of the chairs parts as separate pieces, all rendered in the material that best suited them, instead of in one, compromised but unifying selection. Additionally, Kjrholm omitted any joinery or connective part between the seat and frame, which made each element literally separate. This leaves the chairs support entirely at the whim of gravity, a choice that further underscores the precision of his design and the connection between body and chair implied by its support. The gracefully balanced seat appears to float in midair over its minimal frame.
In 1982, Fritz Hansen took over production of a number of Kjrholms furniture pieces, including the PK24 lounge chair. (Kjrholm worked briefly at Fritz Hansen in the 1950s before partnering with E. Kold Christensen.) The manufacturers version is offered in three leather options in addition to the original wicker, which is in the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.
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Poul Kjrholm
A trained cabinetmaker, Poul Kjrholms use of industrial methods and materials in the 1960s brought a fresh, graceful, sleek new style to Danish modern design.
At what is now the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Kjrholm studied under Hans Wegner and Jrn Utzon an industrial designer and the architect of the celebrated Sydney Opera House. The latter greatly influenced Kjrholms furniture production techniques although he employed natural materials such as cane and leather, to a far greater extent than his peers Kjrholm embraced the use of steel (rather than wood) framing for his chairs, daybeds and tables.
Kjrholms signal design was the PK22 chair of 1956, a low-slung leather lounger on a steel base. The ideas introduced in the PK22 Kjrholms designs were named using a numeric system devised with his manufacturer, E. Kold Christensen were refined throughout his career, as the offerings below show: the PK11 chair of 1957, with back and armrests formed by a semicircle of ash; the capacious, richly patinated leather seat of a vintage 1961 PK9 chair; the elegant rattan swoop of the PK 24 chaise longue (1965). The chaise longue’s leather headrest, held in place by a steel counterweight, best shows Kjrholm’s particular gift for combining technological advancements with a respect for traditional detailing.
While respectful of the past, Poul Kjrholm’s sensibility is one of optimism and expectation. His was design for those who lived with verve and lan, and confidently anticipated the future.
Find a collection of vintage Poul Kjrholm furniture on 1stDibs.
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