Alexander Girard, Santafé, New Mexico, USA, 1955 (view from google)

Girard is one of the most influential figures in 20th-century American design. He did much of his ground-breaking work in
Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he was highly influenced by Central American folk art.

The Girard house was actually 2 adobes across the street from one another. each over 100 years old at the time of purchase (early 50s), Girard remodeled them creating an open floor plan, exposed beams, built in low seating with cushions, and lots of shelving and niches for his extensive folk art collection.

Girard’s house in Santa Fe is overwhelming. A lot of his collections are displayed in the house. Here, more is not enough. The colors and textures are playful and exuberant. There isn’t a detail overlooked. Like the Eames studio, there is a lot of stuff. And when there isn’t an object, he paints the surface to invoke a landscape.

Bibliography:

Kiera Coffee and Todd Oldham, Alexander Girard. Los Angeles: AMMO Books, 2015.

References:

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Reviewed by:

Alexandra Niedermayr, Alexandre Maurel, Martin Charachon, Sonja Schneider (March 2017)