Page 23 - Allison's Magazine Issue #97

Do you still live on the land where one millimeter from across the room
your father first built a house? and would immediately correct it. He
I live across the road from the land happily went with the flow of postwar
where my father first built his house. In interest in Japanese design and the
the beginning, he bartered three acres concepts of wabi, sabi and shibui, which
of land for labor on the owner’s farm, were embodied in his work. One of
purchased two more small parcels, and my favorite pieces is the Persian walnut
then had the opportunity to purchase coffee table in our living room that
twenty-five acres across the road. As my father made. It has a large hole in Conoid coffee table
an incentive to bring me home from the middle, which my youngest son
Pittsburgh, where I was raising my used to climb into and pretend he was
growing family, he offered me two and driving. My youngest grandson came to
a half acres of that new parcel of land, visit and did the exact same thing! My
a house, and a part-time job in 1970, other favorite is the Conoid chair, once
and I couldn’t pass up the offer. The criticized for being structurally unsound
workshop on the original property was but since proved otherwise by being in
built in 1945, and in subsequent years constant production since 1960. It is
my father constructed many other always graceful, always comfortable, and
buildings, including his house, an Arts always beautiful in its simplicity.
Building, and the Conoid Studio.
Why was it important to your
Conoid lounge chair
How did your father’s work initially father to leave the imperfections
get noticed? in the wood? Do you think it was
It was a hard go in the beginning. a metaphor for other parts of his
Dad developed a relationship with life? Or do you see it as more of a
Rabun Studios in New York, where he contradiction to his perfectionism? “ WE STRIVE TO MAKE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL BY
occasionally sold a few pieces, but it was I believe that it was perhaps a metaphor RESPECTING THE WOOD AND THE LIFE IT HAS
not until he joined a group of designers for our lives—living with imperfection LIVED, NOT JUST CUTTING IT APART AND GLUING IT
at Knoll Studios in 1945 that he and making the most of it, adding
began to be recognized as a prominent butterflies here and there not only as BACK TOGETHER TO MAKE A MAN-MADE SHAPE.
furniture designer. This recognition gave mending devices but also as “beauty
him the freedom to make furniture on marks,” and improvising with what
his own terms in his own shop and to life throws in our path. We strive to However, my father convinced me What was it like being an apprentice How would you describe your
earn a decent living. make something beautiful by respecting to major in architectural sciences at for your father? work ethic?
the wood and the life it has lived, not Harvard instead of linguistics or music It was tough being an apprentice to My work ethic is a bit obsessive, as I
What are some hallmarks of the just cutting it apart and gluing it back and then arranged for me to attend my father. He never explained why or never seem to be able to finish what
Nakashima line? Will you talk about together to make a man-made shape. graduate school at Waseda University how he did what he did, except when I needs to be done in the time available
one or two of your favorite pieces? It is also a lesson in humility and in Japan to earn an advanced degree would accompany him to the sawmill. during work hours. One of our former
My father always said that he would sublimation of ego to allow the wood in architecture. The university worked He did not tolerate having his authority secretaries marveled that my parents’
not be interested in making furniture itself to tell you what it wants to be. on the atelier system, so as students questioned or challenged and fired me jobs were not only all-consuming but
out of any material other than solid we worked on real projects with real many times. I eventually learned to do also served as their entertainment, social
wood. He believed in honest joinery Did you want to follow in your architects as our instructors, which as I was told most of the time, until he life, happiness, and self-fulfillment. I
and a minimum of metal fasteners, father’s footsteps or forge your provided invaluable and unforgettable had his stroke shortly before his death used to think they were a bit crazy, but
never used plywood, except where it was own path? lessons. While I was a student in Japan, in 1990, when I had to take over and do my own life has become the same way.
not seen, and had such an uncannily I had no intention of following in my I taught English on the side, did some what I thought he would have done. His There is little time for anything else,
keen sense of proportion that some father’s footsteps and no intention translation work, and brought my first mantra was to forget your ego, which other than a bit of music here and there.
people say he could see the error of of ever coming home after college. baby to graduation. was a hard lesson to learn.

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