Whether it was the name of his collection or it's just Dutch for "plywood furniture," Gerrit van Bakel's "meubel multiplex" phase lasted from 1966 until the around 1981. During that time, the artist cranked out nearly 80 different rounded-edge furniture designs, including a whole slew of kid-sized tables and chairs; ride-on and rocking toys; playhouses, and more. The designs were all based on standard plywood sheet dimenstions, with pieces nesting like a puzzle in order to minimize material waste.
His archive is just page after page of interesting stuff. There are a few prototypes that never made it into production, but most everything seems to have been commissions from friends, private clients, schools or day care centers. Most of the photos look like they're taken in the studio; either van Bakel has held onto these things for 40 years, or he's bought them back. Or maybe they're all from the exhibition of his Multiplex Periode, which was organized in 1987, a couple of years after van Bakel's death. Either way, it's a tremendous stash.
Gerrit van Bakel studio and portfolio site [gerritvanbakel.nl via stork bites man and ambitious project collapsing]
plywood = multiplex
today's one-point Dutch lesson, thanks!
Plywood = my wood