Kevin:

While my institution does not have a collection as such, I have had
occasion to exhibit both original design objects (Meis van der Rohe
furniture, for example) and recent production versions (lighting design,
office products design).  I have quit exhibiting the latter because it
became apparent to me that (at least in a place like L.A.) it made no sense
for a gallery/museum to display objects which could also be easily seen by
visiting any number of commercial design showrooms.

However, as you say, there is no easy answer to this question.  If you were
mounting an exhibition of 20th C. furniture and cound not find an
"original" Barcelona Chair, wouldn't you opt to include a recently produced
one over not showing it at all?  On the other hand, a museum could
conceivably create an overnight Meis collection by simply purchasing 1995
models.

Design objects, like fine art prints, allow for an expanded definition of
authenticity.  However, prints are produced in limited editions and you
would never find a museum exhibiting an offset litho (poster) version of a
limited edition print, no matter how exact the reproduction was.  I think
it is less confusing to contemplate this question using examples of objects
that are not produced as multiples.  For example, if one were mounting an
exhibition of paintings by Frank Stella, one could easily create and
include a "copy" of an early stained- canvas striped painting in the
absence of an original, but this would be unheard of.  The legalities
aside, it would be argued that even though the artist originally intended
to make these paintings appear impersonal and non-subjective, subtleties of
the artist's hand prevailed and were missing in the reproduction.  It may
be that even though a designer authorized production of an object, it could
be similarly argued that the object's authenticity degrades by subtle
increments as time distances it from the designers life and original
vision.

Since the experience of visiting a museum should provide one with a sense
of privileged access and authentic insight, I would endeavor to err on the
side of presenting originals.


Stephen Nowlin
Vice President
Director, Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery
Art Center College of Design
1700 Lida Street
Pasadena, California 91103  USA
(818)396-2397vox (818)405-9104fax
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