Celebration of expired objects through transformational rebirth as fine art.

The re-release of Mid-Century Modern classics well past their prime, the collection is the product of collaboration between an artist, architect, and photographer working with objects connected to the Midwest. Arguing Michigan as the birthplace of Mid-Century Modern (MCM), the collection references the works of Michigan-based Herman Miller, Knoll, and Cranbrook Academy of Art. Discard Detroit is the revitalization of four iconic furniture pieces through the teamwork of Synecdoche, Mike Han and Ryan Southen.

Through a new perspective, these expired objects are an active palimpsest — new art on weathered furniture.

The uniqueness of their vintage qualities and original art elevate the value beyond the price of newly manufactured pieces as their value isn’t determined by initial quality, but by the irreplaceable story of circular art and design.

The first piece is The Wassily Chair, manufactured by Knoll Inc. Knoll Inc. was founded by Florence Knoll, an influential designer from Michigan. This original Wassily was found on Craigslist and purchased for $20 from a couple who inherited the piece unaware of its origins and value. It sat in a storage room collecting dust and disappeared from view as other miscellaneous objects piled up on top.

Famous sculptor Harry Bertoia graduated from Cass Tech in Detroit before studying at Cranbrook Art Academy, where he developed wireframe sculptures techniques that became known and respected all over the world. The third furniture piece is his iconic chair produced by Knoll, Inc. This particular chair has been very well loved by Synecdoche Design’s founder, Lisa Sauve’s mentor. Lisa was given three original chairs and leather pads and she saved the worn pads to have replicas made using them as a template.

Isamu Noguchi, a master sculptor and architect, is well known for his Herman Miller-manufactured Noguchi Table. Noguchi is lesser known for his largest project of Hart Plaza, in Detroit. This was the site where the collection was first photographed. This Noguchi Table entered the collection as the original owner moved to a new home and it did not fit within their interior design scheme. This table, no longer having a place inside the home, was given to Synecdoche.

The fourth piece of the collection is the Barcelona Chair by architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. The designer is well-known in Michigan for his buildings in Lafayette Park in Detroit. This chair comes from the basement of a Mies van der Rohe townhome in Lafayette Park, stored away after reimagining the space it once inhabited. Upon painting the chair, it was discovered that only one of the cushions is original, while the other is a replacement.

These iconic examples of MCM design hold court inside museums like the MOMA and __, but many of these objects have been used, loved, and worn over the decades inside homes as beloved furniture. With the leather stretched, the seams burst, and the metal tarnished, the team reimagined value for the objects past their prime.

Recognitions

Cool Hunting: Detroit Month of Design 2021 Highlights

Design Boom: Discard Detroit turns iconic mid-century modern furniture into works of art