Alexander Girard shows you the way to the facilities at Herman Miller’s new L.A. showroom

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If my Alexander Girard-loving colleague Deborah Netburn should ever go AWOL, I know one place to look for her.

While touring the new Los Angeles Herman Miller showroom (full report chock-full of photos to come) I encountered a sculpture in the entry courtyard entitled ‘Daisy Face.’ It’s a three-dimensional version of one of the folk-art modern designs that Girard created for Henry Miller, the manufacturer of midcentury classics by Charles and Ray Eames and George Nelson.

The sculpture was constructed by Propp and Guerin, the San Francisco firm in charge of the showroom’s graphics. Their giant mural shown here is based on a Girard illustration called ‘Black and White’ created for Herman Miller in 1971. It’s a mix of Picasso and the universal visual language signs used to indicate restrooms. And, wouldn’t you know? It’s in the hallway where the ladies room is located, making that facility incredibly easy and delightful to find. (No, I didn’t see how it was decorated inside.)

See ‘Daisy Face’ after the jump.

-- David A. Keeps

Photo credits: Jay Clendenin / For The Times