Hello everyone. I first visited this great site. I would like to hear your opinions about these designs as iittala's products, because I am searching information about these for my art univ's assignment.
TEEMA
KARTIO by Kaj Franck
ORIGO by Alfredo Haberli
EGO by Stefan Lindfors
BIRDS By Oiva Toikka
Any comments on any design would be appreciated but I hope I can hear the good points on these, and if you could tell me your nationality it would be appreciated too, because I am studying about this as a Japanese. In Japan, iittala's products is popular so I would like to search for the reason "why". I think, in the end, Japanese people like simple beauty. I also think Japanese people like the Scandinavian design itself maybe because kind of spacious beauty is there. Japan itself is small and population density is high so we could yearn for that kind of design...
In Japan, iittala's products could be recognized as expensive/high quality so many are sold in department stores.
How about in your country?
iittala
laugh. yes, it is a possibiliy i guess. However, i would like to believe that not everybody is bitten by the postmodern bug and that people still get enthousiastic and worked op about some favorite things without being paid for it. And why not ? Life is so much more pleasant if you truely are enjoying and liking things.
i am based in the Benelux, Europe, and people here are fans of the products you mention too. We do not have the same context you mention (i.e. very very overcrowded, so that people crave simple design in order to suggest relaxation and space)(. . but perhaps the global hectic lifestyle nowadays leaves most people craving for relaxation and space when they come home in the evening where ever they live), still the designs are rather popular with the incrowd. I think this is rather the main strength of Iittala products: they can be appreciated universally, and their designs are not very culturally dependent (generally they only use basic: plain color, a simple stripe, a good line). This also has the plus that objects do not tend to go out of style to quickly. Objects are highly functional, while the lines of their designs look evident and fluent (however i am rather sure that they are actually carefully studied to make them so well proportioned). They have some neutrals (e.g. Teema series in black), but also cater for the tastes of those who do not like all neutral household stuff and crave some color (without being too 'fashion of the moment'). However, personally i do not like all of the designs you mention, but i guess this was not your intended question, and you were asking for general more than personal.
The fact that the designs are appreciated without the added connotation of 'scandinavian style' (connotations that perhaps bring to mind the scandinavian simplicity and quality of life and/or calling images of streched forests for people highpacked in skyscrapers, . . only speculating here) can be supported by the fact that 'copies' without such connotation, but with the simplicity and form of the design intact, have been made and are succesful. If you want examples, HEMA carried colored glass candlelights approx a year ago. IKEA currently has a white ceramic jug with a cork in their range, more or less comparable to the Teema milk jug. The popularity of the Teema range is a story in itself.
ite
pt 2: Teema series
Concerning the Teema range, the ikea milk jug is proportioned differently (e.g. is much taller) than the Teema jug. The Teema range always has been (still is) a popular range, and perhaps you have already done this, but if you are interested you can search the forum (see top of screen right) for previous posts concerning the Teema range (or other Iittala designs).
Since I still have the book ?Scandinavian design? here with me from a previous post, I am tempted to cite a small piece (freely translated from Dutch ): ?The Teema series from Kay Franck was introduced in 1953 under the name Kilta. De vessel with a cork is a milk jug. The bottom of this jug was designed to fit exactly between the inner and outer glass pane of a standard window in Finland (in the fifties refrigerators were rare in Finland). In 1975 the new owners of Arabia abandoned earthenware (which is not oven and microwave resistant) for stoneware, and the stoneware series Kilta was discontinued even though it sold 25 million pieces. Protests that followed this decision in Finland got to the press and in 1981 the series was relaunched in stoneware under the name Teema.?
ite
Iittala....I guess...
It is kind of strange to see all these products under one banner: Iittala. They used to be Arabia, Hackman, etc. I always wondered if it was success that made it attractive to bring them together or if there were other reasons, like keeping these almost mythical products alive in spite of there lack of success...I don't know...
As for the products Kaj Franck is still my hero. Not only because of Teema and Karto (I prefer Konstantin Grcic's glasses over Kaj Franck's) but he was one of these unusual people. Great educator in design and modest to the point that he did not want his name to be published in connection with the products he designed. I use another "Arabia" pattern at home: "Ruska" but I always liked the Teema concept and if it had been as available in the late sixties (when we bought the Ruska) I would have chosen Teema.
Hâberli's Origo is nice. I do not need all these colours but in a scandinavian setting it fits very well. Scandinavian light is different and Häberli understood that well. Stephan Lindfors is a good sculptor but the Ego pattern is lost on me. The disproportion of the open handle is certainly a statement but I can't see how you would experience this every single morning when you look over your newspaper...
The birds...they are pleasant, nicely blown, simple comvincing lines, the patterns show excellent craftmanship etc. etc. but I can live without...
I am living in Canada, but I fear that I am in no way representative.
One comment on ite's contribution. In commenting on Japanese living conditions ite gives the impression that the Benelux would be less crowded than Japan, it is of course the opposite....but than again, that's probably what the comment was supposed to mean.
thank you, ite!
I appreciate your comments.
Yes, as you say I dont think all the items are equally liked. Now I am working on an assignment where I would like to mention the good points, so I would like to know why the items are welcomed worldwidely, even though I should hear the negative points.
People in Benelux like iittala? Is it thought to be expensive wares?
I have TEEMA mug, and I like it so I use it every morning. But maybe the EGO is more comfortable to use for me. (I just think so from pictures and now I am ordering it!) Kaj Franck's design is really simple and it reminds me of the importance of...kind of...standard of beauty. I mean, in Japan, the way of building houses etc is diverse or even chaotic sometimes(not all over Japan, though), so like "The bottom of this jug was designed to fit exactly between the inner and outer glass pane of a standard window in Finland" doesnt occuer. I even envy that! I think Japan should have such notion more.
thank you, koen
Thank you for the comment.
Certainly I do have Konstantin Grcic's glasses even though I dont have Kartio glasses. Maybe because I prefer the size. (I just have Kartio "bowls".)
Yes, the birds series, you can live without those haha, but I personally love that series and have small 2 birds. Indeed I have never met friend who has the series except my Finnish friend. Maybe it's interesing to consider why the beautiful birds art without functional aspect are welcomed by iittala.
Same question to ite but People in Canada like iittala? Is it thought to be expensive wares?
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