JACK LENOR LARSEN
2003 HONOREE
Designer
Jack Lenor Larsen is a world-renowned innovator in fabric design and its technologies whose colors, materials and weaves established the standards for superlative modern textiles and have become synonymous with modern 20th century design at its pinnacle of style and sophistication. As Edgar Kaufman, Jr. wrote in his essay for Jack's show in the Louvre's Musee des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, 1981, "Jack Larsen is a major force in the world of design." The chief conservator of this show also stated, "Larsen could have been a painter, an architect, or a poet; he chose to be a weaver because, through textiles, he could be a painter, architect and poet all at once."
In graduate school, at the legendary Cranbrook Academy, his work showed enough promise to draw the attention of several schools with offers to teach, but instead, Larsen came to New York to make his mark. In 1952 when Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the icon of international style, the Lever House, Jack designed the curtains for the interior curtain-walls. In order to soften the look and the light of those smooth sheets of glass, Larsen boldly combined threads of gold metallics with linen cord to contrast the sleek finishes of the structure. His bold style suited the building well, and those that would soon follow. Jack's innovative fabrics complemented the times, and his reputation rapidly grew.
The Larsen Design Studio was formed in 1958 to complement the work of Jack Lenor Larsen Inc. fabrics. Soon Larsen International was formed, along with Larsen Carpet and Leather, whose notable achievements were the revival of sisal and coir as floor covering materials. In 1976, Larsen Furniture was also established. Larsen and his companies went on to design fabrics for homes, public buildings, and corporate offices, working with Frank Lloyd Wright, Louie Kahn, Pan American and Braniff Airlines. He also created signature looks for the Phoenix Performing Arts Center, Wolf Trap Theatre in Washington, D.C., and Air Force One. Larsen was commissioned to design the first fabrics ever created for jet airplanes, what is believed to be the first diagonal stripe weave, the first printing in America on velvet, and the first stretch upholstery fabric.
Jack Larsen's friendship and association with Russel Wright spanned over twenty years, reinforcing for both designers a respect for nature, and their use of innovative materials for contemporary crafts. As entrepreneurs and representatives of the U.S. State Department, they made several trips to the Far East where they worked with refugee weavers to produce mats and rugs woven with dyed sea grass. Like Russel, Jack Larsen's success displays that rare combination of mass market considerations driven by a craftsman's sensitivity and an artist's tireless exploration and experimentation with his chosen materials.
In another striking parallel with Russel Wright, Jack Larsen's interest in this natural order of things led him back to his early interest in interior design, gardening, and landscape design. At LongHouse, East Hampton, L.I., Larsen's design for a house on 16 acres displays his personal vision for living, nature and art together. Here, he continues to teach and inspire new generations of designers, embracing both the old and the new.
Ann Wright