The Philadelphia Museum of Art on “Channeling Nature By Design”
Earlier this Spring, the Philadelphia Museum of Art opened its “Channeling Nature By Design” exhibit, which features a range of works from wallpapers to arm chairs all drawing on the natural world for their inspiration. (Some trends are always in style.)
Chandelier Tiffany Studios, Corona, New York
"Hidden.MGX" Vase Dan Yeffet
Fruit (Pomegranate) Wallpaper, William Morris
Napa Cabbage Bowl from "Reversed Volumes" Series Mischer'Traxler Studio, Vienna
Vase, Sara Sax
Vine Wallpaper, William Morris
Secrétaire Guéret Frères, Paris
"Antibodi" Chaise Patricia Urquiola
Secretaire Cabinet, George Washington Jack
Jacques-Émile Ruhlmann, French, 1879 - 1933. Decoration designed by Agnès Moreau-Jouin, French, active 1922 - 1936. Painted by Auguste Berlin, French, active 1920 - 1960. Made by Sèvres porcelain factory, Sèvres, France, 1756 - present.
Vase, French
The collection of pieces is divided into three sections: “Design Reform Movements: Nature and the Anxiety of Industry,” which hinges on the works created in the wake of industrialization; “Interwar and Postwar Design: Abstract Forms and Natural Appeal,” whose pieces embrace the values of the Arts and Crafts movement (famed garden guru Gertrude Jekyll is considered an icon of said cultural wave); and finally “Contemporary Design: Biomorphism, Sustainability, and Digital Technology,” which brings together more abstract, technologically advanced concepts like a vase that looks like the exposed roots of a plant.
Whether you’re looking for home décor inspo, want to infuse a little intellect into your summer, or are just looking for an excuse to get out of NYC (Philly is only two hour bus ride away!), the exhibit makes the perfect destination.
Spending the day? Check out some of Philadelphia’s best gardens, from pocket gardens downtown to lavish rose gardens.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is located at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy in Philadelphia, PA. For more information on “Channeling Nature by Design,” visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s website.
