Hard Life

Morrison Jasper

By what means did so much beauty and ingenuity appear in articles of everyday rural life in Portugal? How did the shape of these objects balance necessity and formal perfection so skillfully? This book explores the effect that generations of trial and error, individual craftsmanship, and an instinct to carve out the essential with the slenderest of means brought to objects that made life both livable and meaningful to a pre-industrial society. The objects photographed and described by designer Jasper Morrison may be appreciated both for their beauty and for the example they set of design at its purest.

About the Author

Jasper Morrison was born in London in 1959, and graduated in Design at Kingston Polytechnic Design School and the Royal College of Art in London, with a year at Berlin's HdK. In 1986 he set up an Office for Design in London. 1994, began a consultancy with Ustra, the Hanover transport authority, designing a bus shelter, and in 1995 the new Hanover tram. In 2001 elected as a Royal Designer for Industry. In 2003 a branch office was opened in Paris. Jasper Morrison Ltd. design for a wide-ranging customers base including: "Alessi" (Italy), "Cappellini" (Italy), "Flos" (Italy), "Magis" (Italy), "Rowenta" (France), "Vitra", (Switzerland). 2004, began consultancies with Samsung (Korea), Muji (Japan), Ideal Standard (UK) and Olivetti (Italy). 2005, founding of Super Normal with Naoto Fukasawa. In June 2006, first Super Normal exhibition in Tokyo. 2009 opening of the Jasper Morrison Limited Shop in London.

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