Finding Design Inspiration Off the Trade Show Floor

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The best thing at NeoCon wasn’t actually at NeoCon; it was at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Max Lamb chair as seen at the Art Institute of Chicago Max Lamb stone chair as seen at the Art Institute of Chicago

The chair is one of the holy grails of design. British Designer Max Lamb has created more than 400 of them using a variety of materials, both precious and inexpensive, natural and synthetic. Two dozen of his 400 chair experiments were on display in a special exhibition highlighting Lamb’s working method which involves in-depth materials research, inquiry, and experimentation.

Max Lamb marble chair as seen at the Art Institute of Chicago Max Lamb chair as seen at the Art Institute of Chicago

There is an Italian word, sprezzatura, it means studied carelessness or literally making something without overthinking. All of the chairs at NeoCon are overthought. It was refreshing to see the lightness and playfulness of Lamb’s creations in contrast.