Vitra Metal Wall Relief Dove

Mon Oct 02, 2023DecorAlexander GirardVitra International AG

METAL WALL RELIEF DOVE

METAL WALL RELIEF DOVE

Designed By Alexander Girard, 1965

The Metal Wall Reliefs are ornamental examples of wall decorations created by Alexander Girard for various interior design projects.

The dove of peace first made an appearance in Girard's work in 1965 and was used repeatedly throughout his creative life and career in a variety of manners – such as for various textile applications, on his Tree of Life or in his legendary graphic design work for Braniff Airlines. Selected in cooperation with the Girard family, the motifs for the Metal Wall Reliefs are made of robust metal materials.

DESIGNER

ALEXANDER GIRARD

The architect and designer Alexander Girard was one of the leading figures in American design during the postwar era. His passion for colours, patterns and textures found expression in the field of textile design, which was a focal part of his oeuvre.

Born in 1907 in New York City, Alexander Girard was one of the leading figures of postwar American design, along with his close friends and colleagues George Nelson and Charles & Ray Eames.

The primary focus of his wide-ranging oeuvre was textile design. Girard created numerous fabrics for the Herman Miller Company, favouring abstract forms and geometric patterns in a wide variety of colour compositions.

Many of his upholstery fabrics remain as timely and vital as ever and are still manufactured and utilised by Vitra today. Having originally studied architecture, Girard made a name for himself over his long career in the fields of furniture, exhibition, interior and graphic design.

Moreover, he was one of the world's most important collectors of folk art. The objects and textiles acquired by Girard on his extensive travels provided him with a rich source of inspiration and ideas.

When Rolf Fehlbaum, the son of Vitra's founding family, first visited Alexander Girard and his wife Susan at their Santa Fe home in 1960, Fehlbaum wrote a letter to his parents telling of the deep impression it had made on him, and describing it as the most fascinating house he had ever seen in the United States. Vitra and the Vitra Design Museum have devoted themselves to the reappraisal and revival of Alexander Girard's work over the past several years.

The growing Girard collection in Vitra's product portfolio includes his painted Wooden Dolls, the Environmental Enrichment Panels and various furniture pieces and objects, along with his distinctive fabric designs.

After Alexander Girard's death in 1993, his heirs donated the Girard archive (comprising hundreds of drawings, prototypes and samples) to the Vitra Design Museum. In 2016/17, the museum mounted the exhibition 'Alexander Girard: A Designer's Universe'.