clear magazine
Winter 2006/2007

Excerpt:
When Jones' career began in 1961, acrylic furniture had been around for more than 20 years. But most of the early examples were uninspired attempts, crafted simply of bent rod and bent sheet — novel versions of the bentwood furniture of the 1850s. For years, acrylic (often referred to as Lucite, one of its brand names) was treated as if it were nothing more than a wondrously transparent version of wood or metal. Jones saw the incredible potential of acrylic, but also realized that the material needed to be met on its own terms. Acrylic offers exciting possibilities but it also requires a certain obligation on the part of the designer. Its magic can be so easily spoiled by clunky nuts and bolts or sloppy glue joints, for example. Few designers have adopted a truly sensitive approach to acrylic and “the uneducated use of acrylic is a disaster,” says Jones.