Irving Harper obituary in the NY Times  

Thanks for posting this.

Yes, thank you for sharing. I bought my first Irving Harper piece today – a somber way to end the day...

Yes, thanks for posting this.
Best,
Aunt Mark

He did a large of number of these really nice paper and balsa wood sculptures, which he was adamant about not selling, and said he never sold a single one. I have always really liked this one.

tchp,
Do you recognize the pictures under the sculpture which it appears he was using for inspiration?
Harper was a brilliant designer and will be missed.

Thank you Mr. Harper for all your efforts and contributions in the progression of 20th century modern design. You will be missed.
http://www.hermanmiller.com/why/irving-harper-the-mediums-beyond-the-mes...
http://www.hermanmiller.com/why/irving-harper.html
http://www.hermanmiller.com/why/irving-harpers-world.html
From the Metropolis magazine 2001 article...
Never trained as a graphic artist, Harper based the logo around a large letter ‘M’, for Miller. At first the logo was in wood-grain, since wood figured prominently in Herman Miller furniture. Harper states, “I continued to use the M and refined it as the ads went on. The Herman Miller logo was something they got for free, and they loved it.” He chuckles. “There was no project to do a logo. It was probably the cheapest logo campaign in advertising history.”

Pegboard,
No I do not recognize it. Do you know what it is? I had read that many of his paper and wood pieces were reinterpretations of paintings he had seen, and this piece struck me as being reminiscent of something by Picasso. Although wherever he got his inspiration, he has made it his own. Which follows along with Picasso's statement "Good artists copy...great artists steal."

Mr. Harper was probably the most prolific of the designers working for George Nelson. Many of the best known "Nelson' clock and many of the best Herman Miller furniture pieces were designed by Mr. Harper.
He was a giant of 20th century design.

Happy New Year, Barry!
Your postings are missed around here.
Best,
Aunt Mark

The paper sculptures are hitting the auction block in a few weeks. Interested to see how they do.
http://wright20.com/auctions/2016/01/irving-harper-paper-sculptures

Funny that there are no dates associated with any of the sculptures.
I love the pieces that are almost invisible. And in many of the pieces, it's easy to see the same vibe as in the clocks.