Stefan Sagmeister (American, born Austria 1962), AIGA Detroit. 1999.
Lithograph, 39 x 27 1/2" (99.1 x 69.9 cm). Gift of the designer. (c)
2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Design is not always pretty. Sometimes it is blunt and aggressive, especially when it is meant to deliver a clear message or depart from tradition and express new ideas. Rough Cut presents a selection of bold designs from MoMA's collection, ranging from striking posters to fierce chairs, and from incisive videos to vehicles designed for harsh terrains and unforgiving circumstances. Design is not always pretty—but when it is good, it is undeniably powerful, meaningful, and beautiful.

Jordi Canudas (Spanish, born 1975), Less Lamp, 2007. Plaster, 9 13/16
x 7 7/8" (25 x 20 cm). Manufactured by Metalarte, Spain 2008. Gift of
the designer. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Ralph Borland (South African, born 1974), Suited for Subversion
Prototype. 2002. Nylon-reinforced PVC, padding, speaker, and pulse
reader, 47 1/4 x 31 1/2 x 23 5/8" (120 x 80 x 60 cm). Fund for the
Twenty-First Century. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Anthony Dunne (British, born 1964), Fiona Raby (British, born 1963),
and Michael Anastassiades (Cypriot, born 1967), Priscila Huggable
Atomic Mushroom, from the Design for Fragile Personalities in Anxious
Times project. Prototype. 2004. Reflective fabric and polyester
stuffing, 10 5/8 x 11 7/8" (27 x 30 cm) diam. Craig Robins Purchase
Fund. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

James Powderly (American, born 1976), Evan Roth (American, born 1978),
and Theo Watson (British, born 1981) Graffiti Research Lab (USA, est.
2006), L.A.S.E.R. Tag video of interventions. 2007–08. 60 mW green
laser, digital projector, camera, and custom GNU software (L.A.S.E.R.
Tag V1.0, using OpenFrameworks). Gift of F.A.T. Lab. (c) 2008 The
Museum of Modern Art

Jordi Canudas (Spanish, born 1975), Less Lamp, 2007. Plaster, 9 13/16
x 7 7/8" (25 x 20 cm). Manufactured by Metalarte, Spain 2008. Gift of
the designer. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Julia Lohmann (German, born 1977), "Waltraud" Cow-Bench. 2004.
Leather, foam and wood. Fund for the Twenty-First Century. (c) 2008
The Museum of Modern Art

Konstantin Grcic (German, born 1965), MYTO chair. 2007. BASF Ultradur
High Speed plastic, 32 5/16 x 20 1/2 x 20 7/8" (82 x 52 x 53 cm).
Manufactured by Plank Collezioni Srl, Italy (2008). Gift of the
manufacturer. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Konstantin Grcic (German, born 1965), MYTO chair. 2007. BASF Ultradur
High Speed plastic, 32 5/16 x 20 1/2 x 20 7/8" (82 x 52 x 53 cm).
Manufactured by Plank Collezioni Srl, Italy (2008). Gift of the
manufacturer. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Mr. Smish & Madame Buttly Razor Wire, from the Sweet Dreams Security
series. Prototype. 2003. Matthias Megyeri (German, born 1973). Steel,
15 3/4 x 15 3/4" (40 x 40 cm) x desired length. Lent by Matthias
Megyeri. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art

Oki Sato (Canadian, born 1977), nendo (Japan, est. 2002) . Cabbage
Chair. 2007. Pleated paper, roll: 36 x 20" (91.4 x 50.8 cm); open: 29
x 33" (73.7 x 83.8 cm). Gift of the designer. (c) 2008 The Museum of
Modern Art

Amanda Knox (American, born 1975), Kim Hoffmann (American born 1975),
and Sara Shaughnessy (American, born 1979) of RedStart Design, LLC
(USA, est. 2004), Subtle Safety Defensive Ring. 2003. Sterling silver
and stainless steel, 1 x 1 x 1/2" (2.5 x 2.5 x 1 cm). Manufacturer:
RedStart Design, LLC, USA (2004). Gift of RedStart Design, LLC. (c)
2008 The Museum of Modern Art

James Victore (American, born 1962), Racism. 1993. Silkscreen, 26 x
40" (66 x 101.6 cm). Gift of the designer. (c) 2008 The Museum of
Modern Art

Carolien Vlieger (Dutch, born 1975) and Hein van Dam (Dutch, born
1964) of Vlieger & Vandam (The Netherlands, est. 2004), Guardian Angel
handbag. 2002. Leather and wool felt, 13 x 10 x 3" (33 x 26 x 8 cm).
Manufactured by Vlieger & Vandam, The Netherlands (2004). Gift of
Vlieger & Vandam. (c) 2008 The Museum of Modern Art