The
Finnish Line Married couple, Tapio Wirkkala and Rut Bryt were a design force to be reckoned with BY KARYN SPARKS IF YOU’RE A Mid-century design nut and you haven’t heard of Tapio Wirkkala, OK, your secret is safe with us, but it’s really time you got up to speed. Designer, sculptor and yearround Santa Claus lookalike Wirkkala is responsible for a broad spectrum of celebrated nature-inspired designs echoing everything from leaves to birds to ice formations. Indeed you may be sipping whisky from one of his classic icy drinking glasses as we speak (in which case, make mine a double!). His wife, graphic designer and ceramic artist Rut Bryk, is less of a household name, as yet. But both were massively influential in launching the concept of modern Finnish into the Scandinavian design world that we all inhabit today. The centenaries of the couple’s births are currently being celebrated with a range of events and an exhibition, which began in the middle of last year and will continue to attract visitors through into 2017. The exhibition, curated by designer Harri Koskinen, aims to increase the visibility of the important work produced by the couple as well as being a kind of backdrop to modern design. Whilst Wirkkala was working in glass, wood, porcelain, plastic and silver sculptures, furniture and objects, Bryk’s delicate ceramic wall pieces, panels, bowls and textiles lift the heart and bring a whole new meaning to ‘singing the blues’! Both Wirkkala and Bryk were skilled artisans but with an open attitude towards new technology, and their innovative approach expanded their field both in design and ambition. Tapio Wirkkala (1915-1985) Throughout the 1950s and 60s, Wirkkala’s glass, ceramic, wood and silver work charmed international design circles, laying the foundation for the triumphs of Finnish design whilst working for not only several companies in Finland, but also in Italy, Germany and Mexico. His extensive oeuvre ranged from the humble domestic everyday to monumental art and abstract sculpture. And while his artworks are included in the collections of almost all major international design museums, the beauty of Wirkkala is that his designs are still available for us to collect too! Here are some places to start.ve 28 / August-September 2016 / ve
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Tapio Wirkkala with his 1970s Aslak Design
Drinking glasses for Iittala In a period spanning four decades, Wirkkala designed about 400 glass objects for Iittala. Among his most famous works was the ‘Ultima Thule’, featuring a dripping icicle effect, much copied but never equalled. Inspired by the Nordic winter and ice, the name – used on medieval maps – basically meant, further north than anyone knew about or anyone with any sense ventured! The surface was created by carving into a graphic mould – thousands of hours were then spent perfecting the glassblowing technique required to reproduce the desired effect in the glass. Shortly after Ultima Thule was launched, Finnair
started using the range of glassware on its Helsinki-to-New York route, which began operating in 1969. It quickly found a place in Finnish hearts as a major international design classic. His first drinking glassware collection was ‘Tapio’ (1954), the most eye-catching element of the glass – the air bubble in the foot – was originally developed for producing art objects. Iittala’s range still includes the classic Tapio. A Tapio glass with its distinctive air bubble foot
Original boxed set of six highball Ultima Thule glasses from the 1960s
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Above: Bowl from the Ultima Thule series, inspired by the melting ice in Lapland. Below: A selection of glasses from the Tapio range
‘Among his most famous works was the Ultima Thule, featuring a dripping icicle effect, much copied but never equalled’
‘Among his most famous works was the Ultima Thule, featuring a dripping icicle effect, much copied but never equalled’ www.vintagexplorer.co.uk
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Porcelain for Rosenthal If you haven’t seen anything else by Wirkkala, you must have seen the products of his long professional association with Rosenthal AG in Germany, which began in 1956. He made a considerable contribution to the output of this group of companies, designing eight porcelain tableware services for Rosenthal and seven for Thomas, in addition to more than 200 porcelain vases, dishes and other objects. One of his best-known services for
Rosenthal, ‘Variation’ (seen below), inspired Walter Gropius when he was designing Rosenthal’s new plant in Selb in 1967. Wirkkala’s wife Rut Bryk designed the cloud motif for his ‘Century’ tableware and he developed other decoration techniques such as etched porcelain, known at Rosenthal as ‘silk matte’. This can be seen in his Paper Bag Vase, from the Do Not Litter series and the organic-looking Pollo Vases.
Above: The organic looking Pollo vases designed circa 1979. Below: To mark what would be Tapio’s 100th birthday, Rosenthal released the brilliant 1977 Paper Bag Vase in a range of new colours
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The activity of Tapio Wirkkala in Venini represents an interesting phase of his versatile career, and deeply influenced the Murano glass scene. He was already a world famous designer and he was the one who exploited the ‘Incalmo’ technique often combined with the ‘mezzafiligrana’ and ‘murrine’. Contrasting with his very limited use of colour for the Finnish market, when Wirkkala had the Venini Glass Masters at his disposal – famous for coloured glass since Roman time – he did amazing things using their almost boundless colour palette.
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Art glass for Venini
Mid 60s glass egg signed Venini, Italy
Handmade and blown glass with the ‘Incalmo’ technique joining two different pieces when the glass is still hot
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Lighting for Idman While lighting design only represents a small part of Wirkkala’s output, he still managed to create a vast range of stunning lighting for Idman Oy of Finland in the 1950s and 60s. From such wonderful standard lamps as the TW003 pendant (now reissued by Artek) and the K10-11 floor lamp (1954), to a wide range of table lamps and ceiling lights using different coloured glass, steel, brass and even leather.
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Above left: One of three ceiling lamps estimated at 600-800 euros. Left: 1960s blue glass and lacquered steel ceiling light for Idman Oy. Below: Pair of adjustable table lamps from 1958 in brass, lacquered metal and leather. Right: Adjustable floor lamp designed in 1958 for Idman Oy – brass and black painted metal. Sold for 3,600 euros in 2015
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Left: On the stunning 1971 Silver Moon pendant the rings are all free moving, creating a stunning mobile effect. There’s also the 1972 Half-Moon (centre) and the Apple from 1975 (far left). Below: Salad servers designed for the Strömfors company
Other work There was no end to Wirkkala’s talents. He ventured into the expanding world of Mid-century plastics, producing some wonderful cups for the Aero (later Finnair) airline, which echoed the planes’ tailfins, making a throwaway item into a collector’s piece for those smart enough not to leave them behind! He also designed a wide range of everyday plastic products for the Strömfors company, including electrical switches, household goods and plastic packaging. He even turned his hand to designing a range of jewellery for Nils Westerback Oy, inspired by late-60s space travel and Op Art, with names such as Silver Moon, Half-Moon and Apple.
Rut Bryk (1916-1999) Bryk was an artist primarily known for her ceramic artworks, which began with wall pieces depicting still life, architectural motifs, mythological themes, plants and birds. In the late 1960s she began to produce large architectural ceramic wall pieces with differently shaped and coloured modules, which are integrated in important architectural projects such as the Helsinki City Hall and the Finnish Embassy in New Delhi. She also designed simple geometric and vividly coloured ceramic objects, exquisitely coloured textiles and graphic surface decoration for Tapio Wirkkala’s industrial porcelain designs. Still/Life: Tapio Wirkkala Retrospective Exhibition is currently at Sámi Museum Siida in Lapland until September, when it moves to the Kaustinen Folk Art Centre. In February 2017 it travels to Finland’s Espoo Museum of Modern Art (EMMA). The exhibition celebrates Wirkkala’s life’s work, and includes designs and projects that were never realised. The collection, donated to the Tapio Wirkkala - Rut Bryk Foundation by the Wirkkala–Bryk Estate, is a unique comprehensive and invaluable collection of universal importance, covering their entire artistic output throughout all the decades of their intense creative activity.
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