In this post I will look at the work of two notable Danish Designer, Borge Mogensen and Ole Wanscher.
Borge Mogensen (1914 – 72)
Borge Mogensen was an important Danish furniture designer who helped to make the concept of ‘Danish Modern’ known throughout the world, and garnered international respect for Danish furniture design. His simple and functional designs have for more than half a century enjoyed worldwide demand.
Mogensen studied furniture design at the Danish School of Arts and Crafts in Copenhagen from 1936 to 1938. His furniture was strongly representative of his training as a traditional craftsman. He created classical designs, while subtly incorporated new ideas into his revisitation of traditional forms.
Ole Wanscher (1903 – 85)
Ole Wanscher was a furniture designer and one of the leading figures in the Scandinavian Design movement when Scandinavian Design achieved worldwide popularity. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Wanscher, working with master joiner A. J. Iversen, produced dozens of designs that are now seen as modern classics.
He was influenced by a variety of sources, from 18th century British design through the furniture design of Ancient Egypt. One of Wanscher’s most famous pieces was his so-called “Egyptian Stool” of 1960. He was also influenced by Greek and Chinese design.