How the Teak Chair Became a Work of Art

A teak chair evokes a lot of praise about its durability, attractiveness grain and coloration and its popularity in patio furniture. However, teak was once a part of the art world. Modernism, an art movement prevalent in the mid-20th century, was not confined to just galleries and expositions. It had crossed into the public sector as a functional design movement, and one branch of it, Scandinavian Modern, saw great success in the American market, where a new life was breathed into the teak chair and other furniture made from the special hardwood.

The Beginnings of Scandinavian Modern

This Scandinavian school of design first came about around the start of World War II, where designs like the bent-plywood prototypes of Alvar Aalto were displayed at the 1939 World Fair in New York. It was not until the end of the war, though, when formerly occupied Scandinavia, had the freedom and outlet to express the years of oppression and hardship they had faced. What resulted was a look to the past as inspiration, in the form of traditional crafts like pottery, weaving, glassblowing and woodworking. However, finding materials did not prove easy as a result of wartime shortages, and artisans could at first only work with limited natural materials like oak, birch, linen and clay.

New Materials

As the movement gained momentum and reached a larger audience, so too did the materials become more exotic, and this where the teak chair and other previously hard to find materials became available. Though native the Southeast Asia, teak had already achieved worldwide success as a building material for structures, furniture and ships by the mid-19th century. It was a only a matter of time, then, that Scandinavian craftsmen took up the flexible and workable wood.

Early Practitioners

Two of the main names associated with Scandinavian Modern are Hans Wegner and Finn Juhl. Wegner was called the master of line and detail, while Juhl had perfected the art of structure. Together their works encompassed a style that was both avant garde but approachable. These first designs laid the foundation for the school of design, from where it gained acceptance and further exposure on a grand scale.

Introduction to America

When it first appeared on the American market, Scandinavian Modern was thought by many people to be austere and forbiddingly expensive. To say a teak chair other high-end goods are expensive to begin with is one thing; match that with the “of the moment” art movement and watch the prices go up. As a result, most middle class citizens could not afford it, and it took the help of one Edgar Kauffman, Jr. to convince the people otherwise. Kauffman worked at the New York Museum of Modern Art, and as the son of the owner of Frank Llyod Wright’s “Falling Water,” he had secured for himself a prominence in the New York design scene. His enthusiastic opinion on the modern movement proved to be a vital turning point. From there, Scandinavian Modern popped up in local stores like Bonniers and Raymor, where well-to-do New Yorkers began buying up pieces. A subset of the movement, Danish Modern, was especially popular during these few decades. After the furniture began to sell in New York, there was a trickling effect outwards to the rest of the country. All of a sudden, younger generations were reveling in the distinct postwar style. At the same time, large retail stores began building their own versions of the Scandinavian teak chair and other furniture stylings. Americans in particular were more receptive to the exotic woods like teak, wenge and rosewood.

Peak and Decline

Because of the mass market influx, prices for Scandinavian Modern furniture dropped significantly. By 1963 the movement had reached an acme, where pieces were seen in practically every home and store. The 1960s also saw an era of more experimental design, but in the end the most important factor was that now the furniture could be seen selling at every price point. For the well off, there were the big names like Wegner, Juhl and Jense. For the middle and lower classes, the furniture could be purchased at Sears and Penney’s. However, by 1966 the trend was starting to wane. A new style, Mediterranean had grabbed the public eye and Scandinavian Modern was on its way out. However, in recent years, it had seen a marked resurgence, especially in conjunction with the European retro chic designs.