Besides showcasing such recent Canadian design innovations as Vancouver-based Rollout's interactive wallpaper, the Bent Out of Shape exhibition provides a rare look at the Design Exchange's permanent collection, which spans six decades. Among the highlights are:
The Glo-Up Lamp
Douglas Ball and John Berezowsky designed this formed acrylic floor lamp, called the Glo-Up, for Montreal-based Danesco Canada in 1969. The punchy red stand (also available in yellow) was influenced by Scandinavian, Italian and pop movements of the time and was considered a bold design 40 years ago. In our books, it's still pretty cool.
Thomas Lamb's steamer chair
Lamb's cruiseship-inspired steamer chair from the mid-1970s epitomizes the beauty of bent furniture, a key focus of the Bent Out of Shape show. In this case, strips of Mabau teak have been steam bent, then lined up perfectly to maintain the precise angles. The design for a similar chaise longue, which Lamb produced in 1995, is included in the Museum of Modern Art's study collection.
Rob Southcott's What Lies Beneath table
No, this table hasn't collapsed under the weight of its top. Rather, Southcott has cleverly fashioned a spatially unique form, uniting the two "sinking" support pieces with a sheet of glass. The young Toronto designer made waves three years ago with his United We Stand bench, an ingeniously configured grouping of interlocking chairs.
Amy Verner