Tom Vac Chair : Ron Arad

Ron arad began his design journey studying at the academy of art in in home country of Israel. He then moved to london in 1973 to study at the architectural association. He originally set out to p

Ron Arad

ractice as an architect but later began to experiment with furniture design. In 1997 he was awarded the prestigious title of professor of furniture and industrial design at the royal college of art in london. Arad fast became one of the most well known designers working in london and one of very few who are recognised all over the world.

Arads was first notice for his innovative use of recycled material. which he began to pioneer by changing seats from a rover into office or home seating by welding a metal frame from old scaffolding tubes to the old structure of the seats. He did this at a time were young designers who were still starting out were using recycled materials and were being called the post industrialists because of they're pioneering ways. Arad the following year decided to open a showroom in London entitled ‘One Off’, which would become the centre of the groups work.

Tom Vac chair - Ron Arad

The Tom Vac chair was launched in 1997 at the Milan april fair. the chair came in the later part of arad’s career. By this time a rads method of designing had moved to computer were he was able to render his products to perfection in the most sophisticated manner. Using such programs arad was pioneering the laser cutting industry as his products would be fed straight to the milling machine and cut.

The Tom Vac chair is produced in a vacuum-formed aluminium and produced in italy in a spectrum of circular colour wheels.there are also limited collectors edition which are made out of fibre glass. 

Referencing:

MoMA | Ron Arad: No Discipline. 2015. MoMA | Ron Arad: No Discipline. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/301. [Accessed 30 January 2015]

Ron Arad news, interviews and design | Dezeen. 2015. Ron Arad news, interviews and design | Dezeen. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.dezeen.com/tag/ron-arad/. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Memphis Group: Ettore Sotsass and his Carlton Sideboard

Ettore Sottsass

The carlton sideboard has become a classic representation and icon of italian postmodernism. Its characteristics contain all the basic elements used by Ettore Sottsass’s Memphis Group. Playful and unusual forms, bright block colours and mixtures of different materials and patterns are some of these characteristics.

The Memphis group was founded in 1981 by Sottsass himself, the group gained momentum very quickly gaining a name as a mecca for international design. The group had attracted members from all over the world housing names of young designers from Austria, Japan, Britain and the United States. 

Sottsass originally began his career as an architect in Turin Italy but very swiftly moved to design and ended up opening a studio in Milan in 1947. Olivetti and Italian office furniture company awarded Sottsass the title of consultant designer in 1957, with whom he designed not only office furniture but also different types of office equipment. In 1979 Ettore Sottsass was given the opportunity to show his work with studio Alchemia which was an Italian radical design group. A year later in 1980 he started his own firm in Milan which acted as a Design Consultancy and went by the name of Sottsass Associati.

The 1970’s marked a time of change for the italian radical design who were doing their utmost to move away from the modernist rule of form follows function. They wanted to break free from this form and move towards a new approach. They  also wanted to create things which appealed to people emotions and which had popular appeal amongst buyers. This new trend was being made possible and supported by new developments and achievements in both wood and plastic laminate materials, these materials made different shades of colour possible and designers were also able to make use of computer generated shapes.

Carlton Shelf - Ettore Sottsass 1981

Sottsass was continually studying and inventing new techniques which he wrote about and also lectured on his theories. He produced many original pieces for the Memphis group. Sottsass had a wide range of inspirational sources for these pieces which ranged from eclectic forms, indian inspirations and also from the swinging 60’s and the fashion and music in London.

This particular piece of furniture which sot sass created truly shows his source of inspiration through its unusual and radical design elements. The piece is a mysterious one as the shelves extrude at many different angle yet it retains a certain elegance reminiscent of an ancient Egyptian gateway or even a star wars like robot. Its functions range from a bok shelf to a divider or a side board with its ability to have drawers added on.

Referencing:


Ettore Sottsass | Design | Phaidon Store. 2015. Ettore Sottsass | Design | Phaidon Store. [ONLINE] Available at: http://de.phaidon.com/store/design/ettore-sottsass-9780714865843/. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Ettore Sottsass / Design Museum Collection : - Design/Designer Information. 2015. Ettore Sottsass / Design Museum Collection : - Design/Designer Information. [ONLINE] Available at: http://designmuseum.org/design/ettore-sottsass. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Pop Design : Blow Chair by Zanotta

Blow chair - Zanotta

I thought the blow chair would be the most suitable example in order to communicate properly the times of pop design in the 1960’s.  The blow chairs characteristics are very similar to that of the period of time as it was instant in the sense that it could easily be inflated and deflated, It was certainly disposable in the sense that it wasn't a permanent piece of furniture and one would certainly not own it all their life. The chair was certainly appealing to the youthful market appearing at this time who were very eager to purchase the newest in thing and innovative products. The ability to create inflatable furniture was a breakthrough in these times and was only attainable because of discoveries in techniques and materials. The excitement of this new fun product meant instant success for Zanotta the italian furniture manufacturing company, obviously the chair being a cheap product to buy also helped in it’s appeal. 

The blow up chair was designed by four italian architects, they all attended the same school in Milan in the 1960’s. They all specialised in temporary structures and furniture design which meant the chair was a great breakthrough for them. The group also later designed a series of inflatable building in Japan for a world fair in 1970.

The chair was made possible thanks to a new technology which was discovered and made use of high frequency PVC welding which meant there was no other material involved to join the materials putting the seams under constant strain when the product was being used.

The designers of the chair were answering to a society who wanted fast thrills and instant satisfaction, a time were people wanted furniture of different use and that was not made to last. Zanotta made the clever decision to sell the chair in a flat pack box so that the used would just go home and be excited to blow up their latest acquirement. The chair was prone to puncture that it was sold with a repair kit and people were more than happy to just throw i away and replace it once worn.

The blow up chair definitely contains elements of various Modernist chairs but is mostly reminiscent of Eileen Gray’s bibendum chair which she had designed for Susanne Talbot a french socialite in 1933.

This design and realisation of this new technology led to many companies replicating this design and also applying it to different sectors mostly pool furniture and toys.

Eileen Gray - Bibendum Chair 1933

Blow chair - Zanotta

Referencing:

ZANOTTA Design. 2015. ZANOTTA Design. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.zanotta.it/#/en/news/news_events/. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Blow Lounger | Zanotta | Shop. 2015. Blow Lounger | Zanotta | Shop. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.connox.com/zanotta/zanotta-blow-lounger.html. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Two Pooped-out Pop Chairs: What is the Future for our Plastic Collections? - Victoria and Albert Museum. 2015. Two Pooped-out Pop Chairs: What is the Future for our Plastic Collections? - Victoria and Albert Museum. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/issue-21/two-pooped-out-pop-chairs-what-is-the-future-for-our-plastic-collections/. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Eero Saarinen

Eero Saarinen standing behind his scale model of the St Louis Arch

Eero Saarinen was born into a world of design thanks to his renowned parents. He was helping his father design furniture and fixtures from a very young age. After attending Yale Saarinen returned to Cranbrook were he met Charles Eames, with common goals of exploring new materials, techniques and process the two hit it off instantly, they pushed each other on a creative level but also collaborated in many projects.

Charles Eames and Saarinen standing by a structure

In 1940 the MoMa sponsored an competition of Organic design and Home Furnishings and this would become the beginning of the partnership’s best work together for which they would design a set of plywood moulded chairs. They would place first in all categories and these awards sent the two young designers sky rocketing into the elite of the American modern furniture movement.

Eero would also meet Florence Knoll who he became very close friends with forming a brotherly/sisterly bond which would last all their lives. When florence eventually joined Knoll in the 1940’s it was natural for her to ask Eero to start designing for the company.

Eero was a designer obsessed with revising his designs during his design process he was known to make several test pieces and moods in order to achieve perfects curves and would not stop until he was convinced this was his best outcome. His approach toward furniture design was a sculptural one. he made great use of new materials available at the time and organic shapes, he undoubtedly helped form knoll’s identity and withstand its reputation. Over the next 15 years he would be the father of some of Knoll’s best designs and concepts.

Below we see one of Saarinen's most infamous and recognisable works which was completed after his death in 1962. The curves and beautiful details are what make it so evident who the designer is. Saarinen wanted to create a concept which reflected flight which is why he used the curves to sculpt a wing like structure. The ceilings flow into walls which flow into floors making it a whole structure rather than multi faceted. Although it stopped operating in 2002 the terminal is still a landmark at the airport.

TWA terminal 1962 - Eero Saarinen

Interior of TWA terminal - 1962

Referencing :

Spotlight: Eliel & Eero Saarinen | ArchDaily. 2015. Spotlight: Eliel & Eero Saarinen | ArchDaily. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.archdaily.com/265080/happy-birthdays-eliel-eero-saarinen/. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

TWA Flight Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2015. TWA Flight Center - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TWA_Flight_Center. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

Surrealism

Salvador Dali - One of the most Infamous Surrealists

Surrealism is a movement which began in Paris in 1924. The founding member was a poet by the name of Andre Breton, it came out of a manifest which he published by the name of Surrealism.

Breton study the work of Sigmund Freud who discovered psychoanalysis and was strongly inspired by his work. Freud’s work discovered a part of the human brain which stored memories and also the most basic of instincts, He identified this part of the brain as the unconscious since more often than not we are not in touch with these thoughts and they are involuntary. Breton’s goal after learning these freudian theories was to uncover the unconscious through surrealist art and make it cross over to the tactile real world. He also wanted to create social and political reform through the movement.

Surrealism did not consist of just one specific style of art although there are two definitive styles which could be identified. One style is the work of salvador and early Max Ernst and René Magritte this is more of a dream like style. The second kind is the later works of Max Ernst and works by Joan Miro, these are classified as automatism. Freud believed that what went on in our dream world was merely a reflection of our unconscious mind. The surrealists used his famous book ‘’The Interpretation of Dreams as their centre point.

Freud had a technique called free association, he used this technique with patients in order to unblock the unconscious. The term automatism was the surrealist way of expressing this practice Freud used. 

As a movement Surrealism had a great Impact on Fine art, Cinema Literature and even on other matter such as Social behaviours.

Two Children are Threatened by a Nightingale - Max Ernst

Two Children are Threatened by a Nightingale is an early work of Max Ernst. This mixed media collage was ahead of it’s time and was a technique that earnest was pioneering and developing. The objects used to make up this composition were all objects collected during the same year Breton published his famous manifesto which would kickstart surrealism movement. As a composition it is surrealist through and through mainly because of it’s dreamlike symbolism and its mysterious characteristics. A man is seen on the top of a roof while carrying a woman, there are also women on the side seen carrying weapons and she seems to be in a state of distress. Ernst spoke about the nightingale reflected his sisters death and hallucinations he experienced while sick in bed.

Referencing:

MoMA | Max Ernst. Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale. 1924. 2015. MoMA | Max Ernst. Two Children Are Threatened by a Nightingale. 1924. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/max-ernst-two-children-are-threatened-by-a-nightingale-1924. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

MoMA | Surrealism. 2015. MoMA | Surrealism. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/themes/surrealism. [Accessed 30 January 2015].

International Style

Chicago, IL

The 1920’s and 30’s were a time of change in the world of architecture, times which truly formed contemporary architecture as we know it. It was the time of the birth of a style called the international style. The style was mostly about the basics of architectural design such as the form and aesthetics rather than Europe’s emphasis on the social aspects affecting the modern movement at the time. 1932 marked the year of an exhibition produced by Hitchcock and Johnson called ‘’Modern Architecture - International Exhibition’’, it was said all early 20th century architecture was to be labelled as International Style and that how the term was born and began to be used.

Buildings from the international style are usually consist of a very distinct set of characteristics, some of which are; light plain surfaces which have no extra ornamentation or decorative elements, open plan spaces with a lack of interior wall or sections, linear forms, large seemingly free standing areas usually supported by cantilever building, glass and steel usually reinforced with concrete.

After world war two many cities suffered an influx of habitants mostly during the first art of the twentieth century, The International Style was an idea answer for this problem and provided adequate house to build a city within a city. the styles characteristics would allow for the vast build and maximise limited space to its highest potential.

Villa Savoye -  Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret

Villa Savoye is an iconic representation of the International Style. It is a Villa situated in the Poissy, France. The Villa was designed by Le Corbusier and his cousin Pierre Jeanneret. It was constructed between 1928 and 1931 out of reinforced concrete. This building is one of the most easily recognisable exampled of international style and was built around Le Corbusier’s 5 rules of architecture which featured in his manifesto.

References:

International | Architecture, Landscape, and Urban Design. 2015. International | Architecture, Landscape, and Urban Design. [ONLINE] Available at: http://architecturestyles.org/international/. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

International Style | architecture | Encyclopedia Britannica. 2015. International Style | architecture | Encyclopedia Britannica. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/291280/International-Style. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Streamlining

Kem Webber chair - 1934

Streamlining is the name of a style, One which was born out of Art Deco and dominated the scene in america. Streamlining was a dynamic style with many of art deco’s characteristics being simplified. Streamlining had a very large commercial gathering and really opened it’s doors to commercialising products and consumerism. Its was a fuel to the fire which was the consumer revolution in 1950’s. It also became a sort of visual icon for modern America. Industrial design was just starting out at this time and this style of design was used to feed American corporate Capitalism.

The word streamlining means the changing of an objects form in order for it to move faster or easier against resistance encountered such as the elements air or water. Below is an image illustrated by Norman Bel Geddes in 1932 which depicts streamlining and how it works in a diagram.

The best shape for streamlining is the tear drop it allows for the least air resistance, this is because the air move over it easily and does not linger for longer than it needs to. The teardrop will the the most prominent shape in this style being prominent in car design at the time.

Chrysler Corporation was the leader in the aerodynamic car design industry. The first car to be born out of these times and the first car to go into commercial production was the ‘’Chrysler Airflow’’ in 1934. The car took its title from its main feature which was its streamlines body which allowed air to flow over it freely. This car was designed by Carl Breer who was not a designer but an engineer. An important factor is that the streamlining of the vehicle was a functional feature primarily but later went on to being purely aesthetic in some other designs such as vacuum cleaner, radios and fans.

Chrysler Airflow

When looking at streamlined products one realises how the form follows function rule is not applicable to this style, It is more about how the form hides the objects function  The smooth lines and curves were often used to cover working or mechanical parts and whole housing were made of plastics and chrome linings really and truely making an object much more desirable than it truly was.

Although streamlining set out to be a functional step forward in design it really a truely ended up becoming purely aesthetic and fed the need for mass production and consumerism. A phase which we are still going through till today.

Referencing:

 JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. 2015. JSTOR: An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1573060?sid=21105735805703&uid=2129&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3738632&uid=2. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

"From Art Deco to Streamlining: The Search for an American Aesthetic" | Dr. Nicolas P Maffei - Academia.edu. 2015. "From Art Deco to Streamlining: The Search for an American Aesthetic" | Dr. Nicolas P Maffei - Academia.edu. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.academia.edu/715508/_From_Art_Deco_to_Streamlining_The_Search_for_an_American_Aesthetic_. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

 Industrial Designers and Streamliners . Streamliners: America's Lost Trains . WGBH American Experience | PBS. 2015. Industrial Designers and Streamliners . Streamliners: America's Lost Trains . WGBH American Experience | PBS. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/streamliners-designers/. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Japonisme

Vincent Van Gogh, La Courtisane - 1887

The fascination Europeans have with Eastern Arts & Crafts dates back as far as the sixteenth century. When speaking in terms of Japanese art interest mainly started in 1854 when japan was forced to open it’s doors to the rest of the world, this was all due to a treaty which was signed between the United States and several European countries. By this time the Japanese hadn't yet started to see the difference between arts and crafts and the line between the two was blurred. This would soon all change as the Japanese began to display their best artists and craftsmen’s work in international exhibitions using them as a diving board into the west this was due to the fact that japan had nearly no heavy industry. They quickly caught on to imagination of the west.

Certain prominent figures began to push Japanese art especially in France. One of these ambassadors was Samuel Bing. Bing opened a business in Paris which consisted of a shop containing only Japanese objects, many famous artist would frequent the shop such as Vincent Van Gogh and Toulouse Loutrec. Le Japon Artistique was a catalogue published by bing

In the 1860’s 70’s and 80’s, The situation turned into a trading of styles as Japanese artists began to emulate styles from the west  such as realism their western counterparts began to create a style called japonisme. They took direct inspiration from japanese prints, porcelain, textiles and also from architecture.

The western artists interpreted the style in different ways, some would just add japanese motifs in their work while for others it had a more profound meaning . It meant a new found freedom in art it allowed use of bold flattened colours, views without perspective and thick outlines. 

Mary Cassat - Woman Bathing

Mary Cassat attended the exposition Universelle in paris and witnessed the  beauty of japanese prints first hand. This is what inspired her to experiment with wood blocks.

James Mc Neill Whistler, The princess from the land of porcelain

In this painting by James Mc Neill Whistler we see a western woman depicted in a Japanese kimono and also a Japanese screen in the background. The influence is anything but subtle.

Referencing:

East Meets West -- Japonisme and Impressionism | The Art Institute of Chicago. 2015. East Meets West -- Japonisme and Impressionism | The Art Institute of Chicago. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/my/east-meets-west-japonisme-and-impressionism/13453. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

japonisme. 2015. japonisme. [ONLINE] Available at: http://lotusgreenfotos.blogspot.com. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Bauhaus

The Bauhaus was a school in Germany which was founded in 1919 in Weimar, Its founder was  a renowned architect by the name of Walter Gropius. The word Bauhaus translates literally to ‘’house of building’’. The school was born out of not just an idea but a set of views that its founder and founding members felt very strongly about, one of the main aims was to reinforce and renew the bond between the arts and manufacturing which would in turn change education. Gropius had a vision of seeing the arts with a holistic view and not as separate entities, he wanted his students to have a fresh attitude towards craft and technique, a more respectful one. He wanted to take things back to when art and manufacturing were one. Gropius’ ambitions were to teach all arts under one roof, these included; Industrial design, graphic design, interior design, architecture and typography.

here some key examples of functional well designed products  which came out of the Bauhaus :

Walter Gropius - Bauhaus Building (Dessau)

One of the icons of the bauhaus is definitely the school building itself which was Designed by the school’s head Walter Gropius. This particular building is also a landmark design for contemporary design and architecture because of how it brings aesthetics and functionalism together. The building is made up of a tiled roof, steel frame work and reinforced concrete which was used as sound proofing and protection from the elements, all these would become standard in contemporary architecture but were pioneered in these times. A large area of glass was places on the forefront this was done so that the school could make use of as much natural light as possible. The school’s design consisted of three wings which were different workshops, offices and dormitories. All three of the wings were carefully placed with a lot of thought going into what went in specific areas. Although the building seems to be a whole when seen in design terms it was treated as separate elements. 

Eileen Gray - Kettle

This tea infuser represent’s much more than it’s basic function which it serves very well. When seen as separate elements it is easy to notice that Eileen Brandt was showing how basic geometric shapes could be amalgamated and used in everyday functional objects. The simple yet functional design by Brandt is a true reflection of the Bauhaus. Brandt was the only female to work in the metal workshop and managed to master design through the philosophies and approached thought at the Bauhaus.

Referencing:

. 2015. . [ONLINE] Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e1/Bauhaus.JPG. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 2015. The Bauhaus, 1919–1933 | Thematic Essay | Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History | The Metropolitan Museum of Art. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/bauh/hd_bauh.htm. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Bauhaus. 2015. Bauhaus. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.bauhaus.com.hk. [Accessed 29 January 2015].

Deutsche Werkbund

Poster for the Werkbund

1906 marked the beginning of a revolutionary phase in design that would change it forever. It all began at the Deutsche Kungstgewerbeausstellung ( German Arts and Crafts Exhibition) which was held in Dresden. This particular year a big change was scene in that the jugendstil style was being phased out by a very different design language which was in comparison very formal and focused mainly on functionality. The work exhibited at this exhibition was mostly work produced by collaborations of designers with established workshops and most of the pieces displayed had  more utilitarian value than previous years, These characteristics really projected what the designers were thinking at the time. One of these designers was Richard Riemerschmid. and the realisation was that the only way to produce large amounts of well designed aesthetically pleasing products was with the help of machinery. In this way the Exhibition highlighted these new views and realisations that the participants so believed in and it acted as a catalyst for the Deutsche Werkbund.

Glass Pavilion - Bruno Taut

A year after the German Arts and Crafts Exhibition in 1907 the Werkbund was born. It’s main purpose was to reinstate a bond between the designers and manufacturers, for this reason the founding members of the Werkbund consisted of 12 designers and 12 manufacturers all of a very high level. Peter bruckmann was the first chosen president of the Werkbund and within it’s first year the Werkbund reached up to five hundred members. With growth becoming so rapid within the association the members thought it necessary to start a yearly book in which they published articles and works done by it’s members. This included buildings by Walter Gropius and Peter Behrens and cars by Ernst Naumann. The yearbook served as a way for the Werkbund to advocate its beliefs in the bond between art and industry and also contained it’s members’ details and area of specialisation.

 1914 was a big year in the Werkbund as it marked the year of it’s landmark exhibition in Cologne, it included Gropius’ steel and glass model factory and Van de Velde’s Werkbund theatre. A year after the exhibition the number of members tripled and shot up to an astonishing two thousand members.

Glass and Metal factory - Walter Gropius 

Although the Werkbund was achieving what it set out to do and remained creating unity between both sides of the trade. This same bond fuelled an on going argument between the members known as the werkbundstreit. While some members believed in standardisation others believed in individualism in design. By the end of the first world war there was an enormous need for consumer products which gave no other option but to follow the route of standardisation and industrial production. In 1927 another landmark exhibition was set up my Ludwig Mies Van De Rohe and the main focus was a housing estate project which brought together the likes of Marcel Breuer and Le Corbusier. The exhibition led to the spread of modernism. Although 1934 brought an end to the Werkbund, the association brought jugendstil and the Modern movement together and through its many successful endeavours continued to have a great impact on german industrial design and architecture.

Referencing:

Peter Behrens | Clio’s Calendar: Daily Musings on Architectural History. 2015. Peter Behrens | Clio’s Calendar: Daily Musings on Architectural History. [ONLINE] Available at: https://archhistdaily.wordpress.com/tag/peter-behrens/. [Accessed 23 January 2015].

Deutscher Werkbund: German Work Federation: Architecture, Crafts, Design. 2015. Deutscher Werkbund: German Work Federation: Architecture, Crafts, Design. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/architecture/deutscher-werkbund.htm#werkbund. [Accessed 23 January 2015].