Pipsan Saarinen Swanson

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Pipsan Saarinen Swanson
Pipsa Saarinen Swanson in 1948
Born
Eva-Lisa Saarinen Swanson

March 31, 1905
Kirkkonummi, Grand Duchy of Finland, Russian Empire
DiedOctober 23, 1979(1979-10-23) (aged 74)
Bloomfield Township, Michigan
NationalityFinnish
American
Alma materUniversity of Helsinki
Occupation(s)Industrial, interior, and textile designer
Spouse
Robert Swanson
​
(m. 1926)​
Parent(s)Eliel Saarinen
Loja Gesellius
RelativesEero Saarinen (brother)

Eva-Lisa "Pipsan" Saarinen Swanson (March 31, 1905 – October 23, 1979)[1] was a Finnish-American industrial, interior, and textile designer based in Michigan. She was known for her contemporary furniture, textile, and product designs.

Early life and education[edit]

Swanson was born in Kirkkonummi, Finland to architect Eliel Saarinen and noted textile designer and sculptor Loja Saarinen.[2][3] She was the elder sister of celebrated architect Eero Saarinen.[2] She studied weaving, ceramics, and fabric design at Atheneum Art School and University of Helsinki.[2] She moved to the United States with her family in 1923. They eventually settled in Bloomfield Hills when her father became the resident architect at The Cranbrook Academy of Art.[4][5]

She married architect J. Robert (Bob) F. Swanson in 1926.[2][3]

Work[edit]

Swanson was part of a strong period of educators and students at Cranbrook known as the "golden moment". She taught the first class on contemporary furniture design at Cranbrook. In 1935, both she and her mother had their textiles exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Swanson left the academy to work with her husband. They formed Swanson Associates in 1947. It was the first architectural firm that also included interior design services. Swanson was typically responsible for the interior design. Among the projects on which they worked was The Koebel House, located in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.[6]

One of her most noted products was a line of indoor outdoor furniture known as the Sol-Air Group, produced by Ficks Reed.[5] She created various other furnishings and decorative items including lamps, glassware, fabrics, and pottery with Swanson and her brothers.[7] Swanson was also an industrial design consultant for clients including Barwick Mills, Goodall Fabrics, and the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company.[8]

She was named an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects in 1972.[9]

Swanson died at her home in Bloomfield Township, Michigan in 1979 following a short illness.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Swanson, Pipsan Saarinen (1905–1979) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Designer Pipsan Saarinen Swanson". Detroit Free Press. Detroit, MI. October 26, 1979. p. 41. Retrieved September 15, 2022 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  3. ^ a b J. Robert F. Swanson and Pipsan Saarinen Swanson Papers, Cranbrook Archives, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. [1]
  4. ^ Women designers in the USA, 1900-2000 : diversity and difference : Jacqueline M. Atkins [and others]. Kirkham, Pat., Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 2000. ISBN 0300087349. OCLC 45486311.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ a b "Pipsan Saarinen-Swanson | Biography | People | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum".
  6. ^ "Pipsan Saarinen Swanson".
  7. ^ "Collection: J. Robert F. And Pipsan Saarinen Swanson Papers | Cranbrook Archives Finding Aids".
  8. ^ "Swanson, Pipsan Saarinen (1905–1979) | Encyclopedia.com".
  9. ^ Design in America: The Cranbrook Vision, 1925-1950 By Robert Judson Clark pp. 274-282

See also: Eero Saarinen An Architecture of Multiplicity by Antonio Román, 2006.

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