Carleton xDX Collection
Stacking Armchair
Umbra 'Ah' Armchair
Identifier
2019.CU.DX.00060
Former Accession Number
5136
Date
circa 2000 (design)
Date Source
DX Carleton Transfer List Filemaker PDF
Material/Technique
light blue molded polypropylene, charcoal coloured coating, aluminum and rubber
Measurement
81cm (height)
,
53cm (width)
,
48cm (depth)
Physical Description
Light blue moulded polyproylene chair with seat coated in charcoal coloured 'suede' textured finish supported by aluminum tube legs with rubber gliders.
Model ID
320170-332
AAT Culture
Canadian
Style or Period
Post-1945
Work Type AAT
armchairs, stacking chairs
Description
"The chair comes in three colours: “Mellow yellow/charcoal,” Black/charcoal,” and “Light blue/charcoal.” This stackable plastic chair of moulded polypropylene with matte finish has a seat coated in a durable suede texture charcoal finish.
The Canadian housewares company, Umbra, built its reputation for well-designed, well-priced plastic dustpans, garbage cans, and picture frames through the 1980s. Next, it entered into plastic furniture, which had been largely neglected by the Canadian industry because of the requisite expensive machinery and tooling.
The Ah Chair demonstrates the revival of plastics, and the Canadian furniture industry is enjoying a new success with this material, which requires sophisticated design and heavy tooling. The design shows Tom Deacon’s skill at reinterpreting traditional wooden furniture like the armchair as sculptural plastic forms."
Description Source
DX Collection Registration Record Filemaker PDF
Provenance
By transfer from Design Exchange, originally gift of Umbra Shades Ltd., Toronto
External Linls
https://www.historymuseum.ca/collections/artifact/3115867