Jasper Morrison (b.1959) – British Designer, Quirky, Understated Furniture

In: Decorative & Applied Arts, Design News, Designers, Furniture Designer, Industrial Designers
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Furniture Designs by Jasper Morrison
Furniture Designs by Jasper Morrison

Jasper Morrison (b.1959 ) is a British designer, and he was born and active in London.
Uncomplicated and understated, his work questions what ‘good design’ is, and he strives to create objects that are understated, useful and made responsibly. He shares Mari’s interest in ‘true form’, saying I greatly admire his conceptual approach to design. Though I am less conceptual in my approach, we share an appreciation of archetypes and arrive at a design by eliminating possibilities.

Education

Between 1979-82 he studied at the Kingston School of Art and Design. Between 1982-85, Royal College of Art, London. 

Chair designed by Jasper Morrison
Chair designed by Jasper Morrison

Biography

Morrison produced quirky, satiric, understated furniture. His 1986 South Kensington flat was widely published in design magazines. He designed 1988 Door handles I and II, and a 1989 range of aluminium handles produced by FSB in Germany. 

“Design makes things seem special, and who wants normal if they can have special“

He was a founding member of the NATO (Narrative Architecture Today) group of architects in London. Clients included Sheridan Coakley, Vitra, SCP, and Aram Designs. 

Works

Mostly in small-batch production, his design work included;

  • 1981 Handlebar Table
  • 1983 Flower-Pot Table produced by Cappellini
  • 1984 Office System, 
  • 1987 Hat Stand by Aram Designs 
  • 1984 Wingnut Chair, 1982 stools by SCP 
  • 1984 side table by SCP 
  • 1986 console table by SCP 
  • 1985 A Rug of Many Blossoms 
  • 1985 Rise Table, 1986 dining chair 
  • 1986 Thinking Man’s Chair by Cappellini 
  • 1988 Chair 3 by Cappellini 
  • 1984 Ribbed Table by Aram Designs 
  • 1985 Wingnut chair 
  • 1987 One-Legged Table by Cappellini 
  • 1987 chaise longue 
  • 1987 day bed by Cappellini 
  • 1988 sofa by SCP 
  • 1988 plywood desk by Galerie 
  • Neotu benches for the 1989 Frankfurt Art Fair 
  • 1988 3 Green Bottles that Could also Be Clear 
  • 1988-plywood chair by Vitra, three carpets in 1988 
  • 1989 low plywood table 
  • 1989 Panton Project for Vitra
  • 1995 Lima Chair
  • 1993 Bottle Storage Module
  • 2000 Luxmaster F Floorlamp
  • 2006 Super Normal 2006, Super Normal, curated by Jasper Morrison and Naoto Fukasawa at Axis Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
  • 2015, Thingness at Grand-Hornu, Boussu, Belgium
A range of edition furniture made of cork.
Taro 2016 A solid oak table, in three sizes. Designed by Jasper Morrison
Wall Clock 2008 designed by Jasper Morrison
Orla Armchair 2014 designed by Jasper Morrison
Jasper Morrison Dining Chair Light Wood Base Replica

Awards and Recognition

In 1984, he won a Berlin scholarship. His work was included in the;

  • 1986 exhibition at the Shiseido department store in Tokyo 
  • 1986 ‘British Design’. exhibition in Vienna 
  • 1986 ‘English Eccentrics’ exhibition at Galerie Neotu in Paris 
  • 1987 ‘Documenta 8’ (Reuters News-Centre) in Kassel 
  • 1988 ‘Documenta 9’ in Berlin 
  • 1987 exhibition at Parco department store in Tokyo. 

In 1988, one-person exhibitions were mounted at the;

  • Galerie Pentagon in Cologne 
  • Galerie Prodomo 1988 ‘Some new items for the house’ exhibition at the DAAD gallery in Berlin. 
  • His Thinking Man’s Chair was shown at the 1988 Salone del Mobile in Milan. 
  • His 1989 ‘A world slide show’ exhibition was shown at the Leiptien 3 gallery in Frankfurt 
  • 1989 ‘Some new items for the house, Part II’ for Vitra at the Facsimile gallery in Milan 
  • 1989 one-person exhibition at Galerie Neotu in Paris 
  • Work for Sheridan Coakley was shown at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in 1986 and 1989 at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair in New York. 
  • Morrison’s work was included in a 1987 exhibition in Tokyo, along with Matthew Hilton’s. 

Interview with Jasper Morrison

Sources

Byars, M., & Riley, T. (2004). The design encyclopedia. Laurence King Publishing.

Wikipedia contributors. (2020, December 12). Jasper Morrison. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23:46, January 23, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jasper_Morrison&oldid=993764727

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for great article. Jasper Morrison is rightfully one of the best designers of modern furniture. If you look at his biography and his awards, then in 1986-1988 he became the laureates of completely different awards, which are certainly very much appreciated among modern designers. Well, Jasper Morrison furniture deserves a separate discussion, which is already worth one side table by SCP.

    1. Author

      Hi Alex, thank you for taking the time to comment on my blog post. Jasper Morrison’s furniture definitely requires a separate discussion. I found this book in the internet archive. It is free – Jasper Morrison: designs, projects and drawings, 1981-1989 (https://archive.org/details/jaspermorrisonde0000morr). The book features a collection of Jasper Morrison’s works from 1981 to 1989, showcasing his designs, projects, and drawings. It is an excellent resource for anyone interested in industrial design and Morrison’s unique style.

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