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2024

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Textile, Emboss

This is a Textile. It was designed by Konstantin Grcic and co-designed by Maharam Design Studio and produced by Maharam. It is dated 2015 and we acquired it in 2018. Its medium is 100% polyurethane with polyester backing and its technique is non-woven. It is a part of the Textiles department.

Emboss is a non-woven concept by German designer, Konstantin Grcic, in collaboration with Maharam. The result of seven years of intensive development, these sleek industrial materials reflect a dimensionality that was almost unachievable in embossed polyurethane.
Maharam invited Grcic to explore non-wovens, which remain challenging to realize with current manufacturing largely dominated by the apparel and footwear industries, that require smaller products produced at a faster rate. Grcic toured production facilities throughout Europe to gain a deeper understanding of the manufacturing processes at his disposal. He then developed his ideas by experimenting with applications of pattern and texture on various furniture forms. Ultimately he and Maharam came up with 4 abstract patterns: Drape and Rise in 2013 and Emboss and Fold in 2015.
For Emboss, Grcic and Maharam employed advanced polymer embossing techniques that were largely non-existent at the project’s inception. Emboss is a clustering of dotted imprints of varying size and depth. Its luminous surface creates a moonscape effect giving further dimensionality to the textile.
 
 

This object was donated by Maharam. It is credited Gift of Maharam.

  • Scarf (Japan)
  • warp: polyester thread; weft: metallic slit film.
  • Gift of Junichi Arai.
  • 1993-118-3

Its dimensions are

H x W: 365.8 × 139.1 cm (12 ft. × 54 3/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Textile, Emboss; Designed by Konstantin Grcic (German, born 1965); Co-Designer: Maharam (United States); 100% polyurethane with polyester backing; H x W: 365.8 × 139.1 cm (12 ft. × 54 3/4 in.); Gift of Maharam; 2018-25-7

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<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/69135153/ |title=Textile, Emboss |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=26 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>