Josef Frank – from Architecture through Textile to Wallpapers
The life of Josef Frank
Josef Frank was born on 15 July 1885 in the Austrian town of Baden. The beginnings of his active work can be traced back to 1919 and are closely linked to the city of Vienna, where he studied and then taught at an artistic and industrial academy. He immortalized himself in the local culture by becoming a founding member of the Werkbund and the Gesiba construction company. He was one of the few to go against the architectural stereotype of his time, where his solutions to social housing were not based on “superblocks”. His unbound artistic spirit later become dissatisfied with the political situation in his country, and in 1933 he was forced to emigrate to Sweden; he obtained Swedish citizenship in 1939. He died in Sweden on 8 January 1967, at an age of 81 years. His architectural works include for instance the luxurious Wilbrandtgasse house (Wien 1914), the Weissenhof duplex (Stuttgart, 1927), the Beer house (1929 – 1930) and the housing complex of Leopoldine-Glöckel-Yard (Wien 1931 – 1932
Artistic work – luxurious textile, fabrics, wallpapers
The core of his work can be found in Sweden, where he made contact with Svenskt Tenn and its owner Estrit Ericson who founded it in 1924. This collaboration lasted for 33 years and gave rise to a number of unique and luxurious works of art; the art direction their shared is often called the “Swedish Modern Style”, since it went against traditional Swedish design principles of using simplicity, bright colors and functional forms. The primary idea of the company and its art was an outlook to the future. The work they made so many years ago still retains its strong aesthetical feel to this day.
The work of Josef Frank in the area of fabrics is dominated by unrestrained colors, fantastic fauna and flora. His wallpapers display quizzical flowers and exotic fruits. The projects of this artist are a good match for the luxurious and first-class villas owned by the societal “elite” as well as in a student apartment.
Josef Frank was very productive as an artist; in the archive of the aforementioned company, we can find 160 designs of fabrics and 2000 sketches. He mixed the new with the old, various styles, magical colors and templates. All of this was combined into perfect harmony both eye and soul.
Svenskt Tenn - luxury for interiors
Svenskt Tenn has always been a place where creative takes root and where design went hand in hand with the visual arts. Today, the company designs luxurious furniture, textile, various accessories and even home interiors.
