The problem with chairs

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Tuesday, May 1. 2012

That's an Eames chair. I do not like them at all.

Our resident blog critic says it's a dumb article. Here's the article: Against Chairs. A quote:

I hate to piss on the party, but chairs suck. All of them. No designer has ever made a good chair, because it is impossible. Some are better than others, but all are bad. Not only are chairs a health hazard, they also have a problematic history that has inextricably tied them to our culture of status-obsessed individualism. Worse still, we’ve become dependent on them and it’s not clear that we’ll ever be free.

It sounds absurd to claim that chairs are dangerous.

He has a good, brief history of chairs.

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 16:40 | Comments (16) | Trackbacks (0)

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These chairs look pretty good to me. All they need is wifi.

#1 chuck on 2012-05-01 17:00 (Reply)

I like to stretch out my legs, so that sedan chair wouldn't work for me.

#2 Sam L. on 2012-05-01 17:26 (Reply)

Nothing like an unexpected contrarian rant!!

From the author's bio:

Colin McSwiggen is pursuing an MA in design at the Royal College of Art. He hates chairs, but he actually really admires Peter Opsvik and even likes Wallpaper just a little bit. Most days, no one in his studio wears black.

Re the Eames Chair pictured, do you not like the looks, or the feel? I've got a friend with one of those, footrest included & though I'm not crazy about the looks I find it way comfortable. But, that's about all it's good for. Wouldn't want to try to work in it, say. Which is sort of in line with McSwiggen's beef. It's a high-design chair for a couch potato.

#3 T.K. Tortch on 2012-05-01 17:41 (Reply)

So according the ranter, the effects of sitting and working for long periods of time on the ground, on a bench, or on a stool are not as bad for the body as sitting in a chair? Seriously? Not everyone thinks it's pleasant or comfortable to sit for a long time on a tatami mat. I love the style of Japanese furnishings but I love the comfort of my Ekornes lounge chair even more.

#4 Agent Cooper on 2012-05-01 18:26 (Reply)

I agree with the ranter there are no good chairs. Been a victim of a bad back for a decade and haven't found one I can sit in for long periods without discomfort at best and excruciating pain at worst.
In fact most chairs I can't sit in for even 10 minutes before the pain starts.

It may be possible to design a "perfect" chair, but given that each human body is different, it would have to be custom designed for each person individually.

Sitting on the ground is better for your back and circulation.
It does take getting used to, and if you have a bad back and/or knees already you may have trouble standing up from the ground.

#4.1 J.T. Wenting on 2012-05-02 02:08 (Reply)

Sitting on the ground is better for your back and circulation.

A chair or a stool is just the ground raised 18 inches or so. No difference except in the materials of construction, which can be varied to suit one's preference. My back feels no difference; my creaking knees say chair before floor.

#4.1.1 Agent Cooper on 2012-05-02 05:46 (Reply)

Opinions are like ;;;;;les. Most people have at least one. The folks one needs to watch out for seem to have many.... My point is on the top of my head...

#5 dorf on 2012-05-01 18:42 (Reply)

I would work standing all day, if I could. Sitting makes me feel restless.

#6 BD on 2012-05-01 19:25 (Reply)

Think of the chairs in WALL-E. I think THAT is his point. I've worked standing up--if not moving around enough, that's hard on the knees, legs, and veins.

#7 Sam L. on 2012-05-01 20:30 (Reply)

It takes many years of sitting to realize it ages you.

#8 buddy larsen on 2012-05-01 21:51 (Reply)

Growing up, I heard that Frank Lloyd Wright designed uncomfortable chairs because he didn't believe people should sit, but instead stand whenever possible.

Same with Don Rumsfeld.

#9 notquiteunBuckley (Link) on 2012-05-02 00:00 (Reply)

I've read that Jefferson worked at stand up desk he designed and made himself. Edison as well I think.

Regards the Eames chair, I have one but rarely if ever use it. It belonged to my father who held the Gordon McKay Chair in Physics at Harvard. In that chair, with nothing more than a yellow legal pad and a Parker pen he unlocked some of the Universe's minor secrets.

My Son cannot understand why I refuse to let him use it when he plays video games.

#10 Northcountry on 2012-05-02 12:25 (Reply)

Heh!! Above I said I wouldn't want to work in an Eames chair. But if you're sitting back trying to figure it all out along your father's line, I can see that a bit of relaxation might help!!

As for standing while working, I heard that about Jefferson as well. There have been a few prolific authors who stood while working, too -- first person who came to mind was Dickens, though it might have been somebody like Emile Zola or Balzac.

I like to read while standing up, especially if it's work-related reading. I want to find myself a good, solid, old-fashioned lectern, but whenever I run across one the price is usually outrageous.

#10.1 T.K. Tortch on 2012-05-02 18:54 (Reply)

Hemingway --he wrote standing up i do believe i recall reading somewhere.

#10.1.1 buddy larsen on 2012-05-02 21:31 (Reply)

For those of us with painful arthritis of hips and knees, the Eames chair is nice, but difficult to get into and out of without discomfort. Knowing what I was 'in for' as I aged, I bought a chaise longue twenty years ago, and had it covered in a living- room- compatible fabric. It has literally been a life saver for me, because it allows me to get my legs up high enough to be aligned properly. Sometimes, I can't sleep in my bed for more than four or five hours at a time, but I can go out into the living room and settle down on the chaise and fall asleep for another two or three hours. One of the other great advantages is that my ankles don't swell nearly as much as those of some of my friends.

Frankly, I've never thought of the French as great household inventors, but they scored a winner, big-time, with this one. I recommend it for a great low-tech way to solve the comfort problem.

Marianne

#11 Marianne Matthews on 2012-05-02 12:54 (Reply)

For lizards needing to lounge:

Go Roman.

They wouldn't even sit up for diner.

You can come pretty close by adopting a 'fainting sofa' -- which are pretty sexy in their own rite.

#12 blert on 2012-05-02 13:39 (Reply)

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Tuesday, May 1. 2012

The problem with chairs