Objects of Desire

The Wick Culture - Design Vitra Sunburst Clock, George Nelson

Design Vitra Sunburst Clock, George Nelson

Time won’t forget George Nelson. As one of the founding fathers of American modernism, he was part of a generation of architects who re-envisioned the design of everyday objects as art. Perhaps most famous for his series of clocks, Nelson was the first to eliminate the use of numbers in their design, re-establishing the value of clocks as a decorative interior product in a wristwatch age. His ‘Vitra Sunburst’ design in particular captured this refreshing new idea, embodying the joie de vivre aesthetic of the 1950s. There’s a reason it’s still in production today – this sits just as well as any artwork on the wall.


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The Wick Culture - Gallery view of the Summer Exhibition 2026, at the Royal Academy of Arts, London, 16 June - 23 August 2026, showing 'The Witch' and 'The Goddess' by Paulina Olowska. Photo: © Royal Academy of Arts, London / David Parry
Objects of Desire

Object Gift Friends Membership by Royal Academy of Arts

The Wick Culture - Photo: girlgangshop
Objects of Desire

Object Cool Dads Club Embroidered Vintage Wash Baseball Cap in Dusty Rose by girlgangshop

The Wick Culture - Photo: missing-pen
Objects of Desire

Object Alexandre Dumas Father Fountain Pen - Writers Edition 1996 by Montblanc

The Wick Culture - Design Vitra Sunburst Clock, George Nelson
Objects of Desire

Object Hibiscus Splatter Tumbler by Christiana Vardakou x Rhea Kalo

The Wick Culture - Design Vitra Sunburst Clock, George Nelson
Objects of Desire

Object Abstraction Resting on a Red and White Checkered Tablecloth Picnic Blanket by David Hockney

The Wick Culture - Design Vitra Sunburst Clock, George Nelson
Objects of Desire

Object Sun Holder - Brut Yellow Label by Veuve Clicquot x Yinka Ilori