“For me, a classic has three qualities,” said Bobbye Tigerman, curator of decorative arts and design at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. “It reflects the era in which it was made, demonstrates superb craftsmanship and has a timeless visual appeal. Her choice: Jomo Tariku’s Nyala chair, which reflects the designer’s Ethiopian heritage and his concern for antelopes native to that country’s Bale Mountains. Nyala’s organic curves “give it a timeless visual allure,” she said.
Gus Casely-Hayford, director of the V&A East Museum, which will open in its home base of London in 2024, saw practicality as the basis for future recognition. “I live in a city of nine million people and over three million cars,” he said. “It is impossible to get by. You start thinking about having a bike, but so often people find it stolen.”
That’s why he nominated Brompton’s electric bike, first introduced in 2017. “Small and compact, it folds down to the size of a piece of luggage you might take on a plane, but it can be ridden by anyone. size,” he said. “Bicycles were originally designed in the 1880s. This is a foldable, electric, timeless invention that feels incredibly current.”
Marc Benda, the co-founder of Friedman Benda in Manhattan, which deals with limited edition designs, pleaded guilty to self-interest when he singled out the Trauma Chair (2020) by Samuel Ross, a British industrial and fashion designer representing his gallery. “The chair, which is already in the collections of two museums, is really a reaction to the events of three years ago,” said Mr Benda, referring to the protests following the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. “It’s a black voice addressing issues of social justice.”
Although his gallery objects are not widely available, according to Mr. Benda, they should still qualify for admission to the canon of classics. “They can be seen and appreciated in museums and on Instagram,” he says. “It’s not just about acquiring.”