The highlight of the Arts and Crafts Movement

The Arts and Crafts Movement was one of the most influential periods, it began in Britain around the 1800 and continued spreading in North America and Europe until the 1910. Later it continued emerging in Japan in the late 1920's or 1930's. It's what they call it Mingei, meaning that it's the Japanese folk art movement.

Detail from a season ticket for the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society,
                by Walter Crane, England, UK, 1890. 

Three most important reformers of the Art and Crafts movement were; A.W.N Pugin -who's a designer and wrote the provided of the foundation of the later development of the Arts and Crafts Gothic Revival, then there's John Ruskin, Owen Jones and William Morris. Yet, the most two influential figures were Ruskin, who was a theorist and a critique that was based on art, society and labour. Then there's the famous William Morris who was a designer, writer and an activist.

Morris has put forward the philosophies of John Ruskin into practice, in order to put forward great value of work, dedication and appreciation of work in the craftsmanship and lastly the result of the natural beauty of the material itself.

William Morris also had a company called the Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. where he used to produced decorations in every home. He started from producing furniture, wallpaper and stained glass.


With all the success in design and manufacture, Morris had been renowned internationally and people (guilds and societies) began to get inspired from his ideas, and I must say that his original stylistic designs are still ongoing in nowadays trend.


The most astonishing and most beautiful hand printed designed textiles, that have an inexhaustible resource of patterns applied on fabric. The pictures shown down below are authentic versions of Morris, original designs and alongside, new interpretations are being created up to date on fabrics and wallpapers.

Achantus sofa 1875 and Branch armchair 1871 Tapestry designs

Other few of more astonishing original hand printed patterns, applied on cushion covers of William Morris.

William Morris hand printed patterns, on cushion covers

These are Morris's original and fashionable wallpaper designs, that began in the 1860's and were being hand printed by Jeffrey & Co. N

 

William Morris, Artichoke wallpaper, 1898

As one can see Morris did not only design leaves and flower gardening designs but also fruit and trees.

William Morris, Fruit wallpaper, 1864

William Morris & Co. The Brook 

Nowadays wallpapers has become a second option when it comes to make a feature wall, but when I stay browsing or approach such decorative feature wall designs (suchlike the picture down below) or fashion trends at some particular shops, automatically my mind heads straights to the patterned and flourished wallpaper designs that William Morris produced, yet from my personal point of view the contemporary designs won't beat Morris's style.

Denisbrott -Floral Feature Wall, 2016

Other contemporary examples of feature walls that are being designed in homes are the cladding tiles that will be installed on one wall. There are tiles that come out in many different materials, such as; stone, wood, exposed bricks. Others like using an aesthetic and functional wall that serves them to install more on shelving's to decor with their own taste of style, that can be books/ plants/ vintage objects and more.

Stone cladding wall

This is one of Pugin's Gothic architecture designs that was built in Manchester, 1839-42. Clearly the pointed arches show a good significance of the Gothic revival style and the rose circular window is also symbolizing as part of the Gothic architectural style.

A.W.N. Pugin. St. Wilfrids. Hulme, Manchester 1839-42

This shows the influence of the huge impact of John Ruskin's theories.

John Ruskin has pleaded on how the hand craftsmanship had decreased year by year. As a consequence it had increased the isolation of the designer of an object from its maker, due to the scale of the commercial production.

Study of a hand-carved relief of John Ruskin, 1882  

This is the Crystal Palace that was structured in glass and iron and designed by Joseph Paxton in the 1801-1865, which was purposely built to display other exhibitors work.

An important figure to involve, is Prince Albert who have decided to conceive the first international exhibition, it's where over six million people have attended to this event. With that grand opportunity lots of artists and designers from different places falling under the British empire that have exhibited and shown their work, continued on building up their inspirations from every different kind of field of work. Including the observations of strength, durability, utility and quality of the iron and steel, machinery or textiles materials.

The Great Exhibition -Crystal Palace, 1851 

References:

Home Designing, 2008-16. Three striking modern home designs. [online] Available at: <http://www.home-designing.com/2014/02/three-striking-modern-home-designs> [4th May 2016]

. Faux painting ideas -Faux marble. [online] Available at: <http://interiordesign.lovetoknow.com/Slideshow:Faux_Painting_Ideas#9> [4th May 2016]

 JesseWa, 2013. Arts and Crafts Movement. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko3EM2ioGfs> [4th May 2016]

ou Learn on YouTube, 2013. Arts and Crafts: Design in a nutshell. [video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBq73yxha0o> [4th May 2016]

Victor & Albert Museum, 2016. 'The Arts and Crafts Movement '. [online] Available at: <http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-arts-and-crafts-movement/> [4th May 2016]

BBC, 2014. 'Joseph Paxton'. [online] Available at: <http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/paxton_joseph.shtml> [4th May 2016]

Morris & Co., 2016. 'The Original William Morris & Co.'. [blog] Available at: <https://www.william-morris.co.uk/> [4th May 2016]

Verma. S, 2016. 9 feature wall ideas to dress up your home. [blog] Available at: <https://nestopia.com/blog/9-feature-wall-ideas-to-dress-up-your-home/> [4th May 2016]

 Pinkney. T, 2012. The William Morris Society in the United States. [online] Available at: <http://www.morrissociety.org/index.html> [4th May 2016]

King & McGaw, n.d.. Jersey and Guersey, Malta and Ceylon stand at the Great Exhibition, 1851. [online] Available at: <http://www.ssplprints.com/image/97634/jersey-and-guernsey-malta-and-ceylon-stand-at-the-great-exhibition-1851> [4th May 2016]

Post Modernism - Unique and Individual

Looking at buildings that were built in the postmodernism times, I could identify the repetitive use of forms and primary colours, that were being used from one building to another and spot a lot of geometrical shapes, in use of; cylinders, rectangles, triangles and circles, in use to make round arches, building blocks, that most of them will be identified from the pediment that will be at the top.

Going back at the time of the 1960's, people got tired of seeing modern designs and following the term of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe saying ''Less is more'' rather, by time it turned to be ''Less is a bore''. So, in art Picasso came out with a new style in using geometrical shapes and primary colours in his paintings to express certain predetermined principles of art, which that may have influenced some of the architects and designers in such way that post modernism would enhance more than one method of style, such; collages, anarchy, repetition, chants and much more. (ouLearn on youtube, 2013)

This is one example of Pablo Picasso's paintings, representing the strong elements that influenced the post modernists from geometrical shapes, primary fun colours, strong lines, disordered block shapes.

Pablo Picasso's Painting 'Les Femmes d'Alger', 1955

One architect that I observed from his architectural design work and that is based on post-modernism is the Maltese architect, Richard England.

His work in the early sixties, evolved and re-interpreted traditional forms within a modern manner. More in depth, some information that I found, I identified that England's architecture was put together from the modern technology, combined with traditions of the past to produce an architecture that relates to the living contribution of the present.


As one could easily detect on the Qawra st. Francis Church 1988-98 building, has strong geometric forms in its own architecture, including cylindrical shapes that are being combined within and next to each other, with hollow small squares and the use of the blue primary colour painted on some of the individual walls to create or rather bounce out the attraction of the constructed building. From a viewpoint looks like there's a unit form on how they are situated in the space around. In spite, England has put in consideration and planned on how to handle the volumes and sizes of the shapes created, keeping a strong sense of the sacred. (England, R., 1998)

Church of St. Francis Qawra, Malta.
Richard England, 1988-98

Another example from England's architectural designs, is the 'Dar il-Hanina Samaritana', that is found in Santa Venera, Malta. They were designed with a Baroque entrance doorway, with a surreal triad of over lapping applied with warm yellow primary colour, behind it once again one could notify that at the doorway entrance there are two slabs which are designed with repetitive small blocks with glass installed. The design is deriving from the period of where they used to build lots of block buildings with lots of square window designs. This design technique was also an easier and faster way to build the buildings.

This is a building of Aldo Rossi to show an example as an influence to the post modernism buildings that have small squares included.

San Cataldo Cemetary, Aldo Rossi

Dar il-hanin Samaritan entrance

Dar il-Hanin Samaritan
Santa Venera, Malta 1996, Richard England

This is another clear picture of the same location area representing a clear example, in use of geometrical shapes built in concrete blocks, there's use of symmetry, in use of red, blue and purple colours. Again at the top part of the cylindrical shape of the architecture there are shown the small hollowed squares.

Dar il-Hanin Samaritan 
Santa Venera, Malta 1996, Richard England

This is a building by Philip Johnson, found in New York City, 1984. It's a construction built with a form of a rectangular, boxy block with a classical broken pediment at the top of the building.

Sony building, 1984
  

Another example of this large exterior building brings in the neoclassical style with the postmodern. Again according to the post modernism style, this building represents shapes and forms that are being on the building. The top classical pediments have a wide symmetrical gable and a split in the center. Has a sense of repetition, classical columns that are around the building and circle shapes are on the front of the building under the pediment. As noticed the scales vary, the building is built in a long rectangular shape along with another complimentary building that is at the front, is built with two or three lower floors.  

Espaces d'Abraxas a' Noisy-le Grand, Ricardo Boffill, 1983 

Here we can see one of the first post modern houses that was dedicated for Robert Venturi's mother. Robert Venturi was one of the first American Modernist architects, where he was also one of the first architects that started to destroy the elements and characteristics of the modern style to bring in the post modern style. In point of fact Robert Venturi had an award of the Pritzker architecture prize as an honour to a living architect who has built work that demonstrates a combination of those qualities of talent. As a reward he was given a bronze madillion that costs $100,000 US dollars.

The design of this architecture has an important aspect, it was built between the 1962 and 1964. Whereas he tested complexity and contradicted by going against the norm in architecture.

So what we can see here Venturi designed a shelter through its exterior with its wide symmetrical gable like a classical pediment, which at this case is split.

Vanna Venturi House with its split gable, 1950's

Here one can also detect the exaggerated manner of the chimney poking out. The Vanna Venturi house has a comosition of a rectangle, curvilinear and with diagonal elements combined together. It is set to an inarguable that creates complexity and contradiction.

Vanna Venturi House with its split gable, 1950's

Here there are three pictures of the interior staircase, its where we could see an unusual twist. The fireplace is placed next to a stair that competes with the fireplace as it is installed in the center of the heart of the home. The stair is solid and has both vertical elements with an unusual shape, this was designed to make room for the other.  The second floor rises up at an ingenuity angle, its function was completely useless to its sleep slope, while on the other level serves as a ladder to c lean the high windows. (Perez, 2010)

Vanna Venturi House,1950's interior -staircase view 




Another room that serves to be as a bedroom, is found to be on the other side of the house. It is representing the exterior as a layering system, to make the exterior walls with both walls and screens. 

The functional and formalized shapes of modernist movements are replaces by aesthetic, playfulness, unusual surfaces and kitsch style.




Reference:

OuLearn on Youtube, 2013. Post-Modernism Design in a nutshell (6/6). [Video online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKomOqYU4Mw> [Accessed on 5 May 2016]

Mainetti. D, n.d. Richard England. [Blog] Available at: <http://paradisebackyard.blogspot.com.mt/2013/08/richard-england.html> [Accessed on 5 May  2016]

England, Richard., 1998. Richard England. L'Arca Edizioni, Bergamo: Franca Rottola.

Perez.A, 2010. AD Classics Vanna Venturi House/ Robert Venturi. [online] Available at: <http://www.archdaily.com/62743/ad-classics-vanna-venturi-house-robert-venturi/> [Accessed on 5 May 2016]

Task 2 -Report

Critical reflective writing of the Group work;

In my group we are five; Bernard Callus, Gino Ellul, Liam Borg, Keith Demanuele and myself Martha Debono. Each and one of us had his own role to find his individual information that was needed for the group work. Everyone had to find his own information and visited places that were needed to be found according to their source of interest. 

Everyone in the group has put his own effort to look around and discover what is left as post modernism style in Malta. To start off with our own research, firstly what Gino and I considered best to do, is to ask Omar Caruana, who we thought that he could give us a good understanding and knowledge about what we could find as postmodernism buildings in Malta. When we asked him in person he gave us a good tip to start our own research by looking at Richard England's architecture that he designed in Malta and has also mentioned a proficient study dissertation that we could find at the University library made by Godwin Vella.  

As considered I started researching from books to see what I could find about the design of Malta's Post Modernism Architecture and the following day as a whole group, agreed to go around and have a look at the architecture of the University of Malta, the Mater Dei Government Hospital, from its exterior and its interior, since they had such strong concept elements of the post modernism design. As we were there, we discussed and pointed out the obvious forms, colours, repetitions, combinations, materials, techniques and influences on how these might have evolved in time.  

Then the following day Gino and I planned to go and visit the architecture found Valletta, such as the the St. James Cavalier and the Central Bank, we also visited the chapel of Dun Gorg Preca that is found in Blata l-Bajda, also visited Pembroke since we were looking for the Chapel of St.Andrews   but then after asking an old man that was sat on a bench with his dog and I was notified that the post modern chapel of St.Andrews was demolished. More places that we have visited are the La Vallette Resort hotel where we couldn't enter since it was closed under refurbishment, visited the Millenium chapel that is found in St. Juliens and last the Krea, that is located in Hal Qormi. 

Keith visited Dar il-Hanin San Maritan in Santa Venera, meanwhile Bernard looked in shops such as; Casa Nova, The Atrium, Contemporary Design Homes to find products, it wasn't an easy task regarding to find products because the designs found were more artistic rather than following any function. Liam has gone around Naxxar and Mosta area to look for any relevant information that links to our design style.

In the group, I was the one who took in charge of the plan and organisation, made sure to keep in contact and see that everyone is collaborating with the information found and to make sure that no one would miss lead. As a group work we have discussed about the information that we have found individually in terms of the taken pictures, style, such as; the architecture of its interior and exterior, products, their influences and cultural aspects and at the end Liam has took interest on taking the role to gather all the information and put it on the PowerPoint, when meanwhile within the group, we were discussing who would take his part and what would be discussed in the presentation to collaborate well in terms of the subject of the Post Modernism. 

As a disadvantage I should say that we didn't have much of time to look more for a stronger and more effective information and something else that I have notified when asking sales persons that are selling such valuable products from shops, the moment we asked about what we were looking for about the style, they did not have a clue of what it was.  

On the whole I should say that everyone in the group has giving his own participation and collaboration, as it should be done.

Documentation of my observation study;

Through my research, visiting different places to look for the Post Modernism style has not been that easy yet not so hard, since to what I could notice is that many places such as churches or chapels, houses, shops, hotels and more, are being renovated or have been demolished.

This is a picture of the back entrance of the Mater Dei Government Hospital which has been designed by Richard England.

Lots of England's designed buildings show same forms, yet using different structure. Looking at the back of the building one could notice lots of small blocks installed with glass, triangular large window and and round shaped windows and rectangular block shapes. Since the building has geometrical forms, it also has a sense of symmetry, what on one side there's the same on the other side. The colours used for the glass is green and some walls all painted in pink. This reflects the style of the post modernism, since the style has lots of combined and influences designs, I could picture and remember from where the shapes could have been stemmed from.    

Back View of Materi Dei Government Hospital, tal-Qroqq Imsida, Malta

Looking at another side of the Mater Dei building, I could see cylindrical shapes, one coloured in pink and the other in blue. These remind me of the colours that the artistic movement of De stijl were used. Then the blocks remind of the building blocks that Le Corbusier designed, back in the early 1950's.

Back View of Mater Dei Government Hospital, tal-Qroqq Imsida, Malta 

This is the Central Bank in Valletta, also designed by Richard England. I could see a block with a round window and the cylindrical shape beside it. Itself it represents long rectangular windows with crossed black metal steel, which I have seen the same inside the chapel of Dun Gorg Preca, located in Blata l-Bajda. Again the colours used remind me of the style of De Stijl, since they used to include the black and white colours, and in the picture below on could see same use of characteristics. 

Central Bank in Valletta, Malta

This is another one of Richard England's Architecture that exposes such strong elements of the post modernism style. This chapel is not more existing, since it has been demolished.

As I have been at the place where this chapel was built, I talked to a men that was from the same location and asked if he maybe remembers the chapel before they rebuilt a new exterior Parish church and opened up his suggestions about the style of how it was, he said that he found it very unlikely and that the primary colours applied on basic shapes was very unpleasant to the eye of the people.

St. Andrews Chapel, Pembroke, 1988

This is the interior chapel of Dun Gorg Preca in Blata l-Bajda, its where one could see the arcs and use of the same colours that are applied on other post modern architecture in Malta. The grid at the back represents the style of the post modernism, the squarish shapes that are used frequently as windows. 

Dun Gorg Preca Chapel in Blata l-Bajda, Malta

This is another building located in Bugibba, the Empire Cinema. I could notice the triangle at the top and the long arc in the middle of the building, the relation of the large arced windows on both sides remind me of the building blocks that Le Corbusier designed in the early 1950's.

 Empire Cinema Building in Bugibba, Malta

This is the Krea block building, it's where I spotted the top triangle on the building with the circle in the center. The way it constructed is taken from something classical combined with modern. The  vibrant magenta has its own unique way to attract the eye of the viewer.  

Krea Malta, Qormi Architecture

Boat shoes design, that has been stemmed from the mainstream cutting thread rubber shoes that were made for sailors, fishermen and all of those who work on seas, that it also needed to have a good grip on slippery surfaces, these began to be mainstreamed at the times of the 1980's and still being in fashion nowadays.

It seems that there's a re-birth of strong colours, style and the shoe itself. I combine the applied colours; black, white and red with the style of De Stijl's, since there are lots of simplified visual compositions.

indhouse -Maltese TV Program, Advertisemt/ Sponsorship of Ara shoes, King Shoe Shop, Malta 2016

''Post Modernity conceives of it in terms of consumption'' Oatley, 2011

The picture below is representing one good example of mixture between punk and elegance. The leather jacket was stemmed from motorcycle style that before used to have its unique style and still is very attractive and worn at this era. 

Malta Fashion Design week, 2016

Since this was a Revolution Fashion show in 2013, from the design concepts I could see that the designs were being stemmed from the past history and been renovated and given a different perspective of definition in material. In picture #1 the design and material used, takes us back to the Ancient Roman military times, where they used to wear those dangled leather rectangular strips over their hips, as part of their ornament clothing design and so in the costume shown in the picture has that manipulated in brass sheets of metal and bent brass wire exposed out of her neck and lower hips, in a humouristic way I resemble it to the egg whisk beater.

                                                   #1. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

Keeping in mind, the post modernism has a blend of cultures and results with a hybrid form. 

Alexander McQueen

Including the style of Lee Alexander McQueen, I resemble the picture above with the bottom picture number #2 that has the same flaws in the garment and fabric used. The curvatures incorporated in the dress, seem to be taken from the Victorian era, as well as looking very similar to Alexander's McQueen's work. Additionally the dress, the model is wearing seems to have the same characteristics to today's short dungerees. 

                                                          #2. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

What was in the inside became on the outside:

This dress has the bottom skirt design made out of metal strips and shaped in a squarish design as well, since most of the architecture visits I have seen included the square shapes, they were reminding me as an interpretation of the style of Le Corbusier buildings blocks.

To break down the context and show how the style of the post modernism is still on going and as designers we are still linking historical styles combined to the current styles.

#3. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

Although this is a product design made by George Sowden for Memphis Milano group was called as the ''savoy'' cupboards and produced at the highlight time of the post modernism in 1983, I link this cupboard cabinet with the shape of the Mcast fashion show picture #4 costume design. they have the same particular shape of a hexagon and both have the transparent glass included.

''Savoy,'' Memphis 1983
HPL Print laminate, wood and glass  

#4. Mcast Art and Design Fashion Show, Revolution 2013

References:

W. Fred Van Raij, 2016. Post modern consumption: architecture, art and consumer behavior [online] Available at: <https://www.acrwebsite.org/search/view-conference-proceedings.aspx?Id=11634> [Accessed 16 May 2016]


author anonymous, n.d. Pembroke. [online] Available at: <http://www.malta-canada.com/churches-chapels/Pembroke.htm> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

Charlton.R, 2014. The story behind the popular boat shoes.[blog] Available at: <http://www.mainlinemenswear.co.uk/blog/2014/the-story-behind-the-popular-boat-shoe> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

MediacastMT, 2013. Mcast art and design -End of year Exhibition -Revolution 2013 [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnMWfUEnDJ0> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

 Oatley.A ,2011. Post Modernism and Fashion. [online] Available at: <https://www.notjustalabel.com/editorial/postmodernism-and-fashion> [Accessed 16 May 2016]

Various designs in Europe

Viewing designs from different places inside the same continent (Europe), one would realise how the aspect of design still varies with different qualities of creativeness. Such as the citizens that live in the North, of course they have cold temperatures, so their designs may be designed more on materials that will keep their place or environment, warm and cosy. Very often they also install parquet flooring or fitted carpets in their houses.

 The contemporary minimalism and modern design concept is currently on its highlight, then you start observing and spotting ornaments that are being decorated in their interiors including a lot of vintage and retro styles with other simple plain natural colour backgrounds.

This is one example of the Northern side of Europe, a Scandinavian interior kitchen design, that has minimal, clean and simple lines. The visual qualities have been stemmed from the early 20th century art movements and the simple lines became influenced from the inter-war art movements which this made the style become very elegant and neat.

Scandinavian Interior, image source: The Kitchen Designer 2015

Nordic, Scandinavian Interior Design, 201

I take the picture below as a revival  design that has been engaged from the old times and the style has been collaborated with the modern design that is being expressed with the most simplicity in its form and aesthetics, nothing to be hidden, admirable with all the geometric lines and shapes created within the furniture and the window framing. The eyes will automatically focus on the materials.

Interior Design and Luxury Decor

Furthermore I believe that aesthetically on the contemporary design style, natural colours such as greens, browns, blues and more are being used and these underlie on earthy pigments.

In fact, in many of the mid-century modern houses are being established in wood and brick materials, along with newer materials that are being launched, such as the man-made flooring parquet. More than that the technology is being incorporated within the category of designing certain, products, home digitalization features or functions in buildings, such as; the radiant floor heat, and building techniques with construction atop slab concrete foundation, the touch-sensitive switches (to turn on and off the lights) that make it modern and more fit to the description of the interior. All this is being reinvented to give a better service and comfort, such wants and needs for the human being. 

In picture #1, there is shown a comfortable big living space with large windows. This style derived from the architect designer Frank Lloyd Wright of the house that he designed what was inside became on the outside and what was outside became inside. This is to blend with the interior environment.

Interior with Large Windows #1

Here I am representing the LED lights which at the time they are being on demand in the markets, since they save a lot of electricity, its light source is found very strong and lasts for long and also it makes a lovely environment.  

LED lights 

These are the touch sensor switches that are being installed in homes. It is basically an operation system that will function with the mimics of the human body and lightens with an optical light that will be connected to the electricity or magnetism.

Touch switches

References:

Distinct Build, 2010-16. Modern Architecture Defining Characteristics. [online] Available at:<http://distinctbuild.ca/modern_architecture_defining_characteristics.php> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

Fantastic Viewpoint, 2013.14 Animal Inpired Decor Ideas for your Living Room. [online] Available at: <http://www.fantasticviewpoint.com/14-animal-inspired-decor-ideas-living-room/> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

Einrichtungshaus Wetscher, 2016. Salone Del Mobile 2016 -Trendanalyse. [video online] Available at:<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiLoFoIq3hY> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

Winston. A, 2016.Tipics Smart Tuler Kitchen features a sink that appears with the wave of a hand. Dezeen, [online] Available at: <http://www.dezeen.com/2016/04/20/video-tipic-smart-tuler-kitchen-offmat-milan-design-week-2016-disappearing-sink-movie/> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

Lavinia, 2009. Touch switches, the modern way to turn off the lights. [online] Available at: <http://freshome.com/2009/10/15/touch-switches-the-modern-way-to-turn-off-the-lights/> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

Little. S, 2014.10 design lesson you can learn from Scandinavian Homes. [online] Available at:<http://freshome.com/2014/09/15/10-design-lessons-you-can-learn-from-scandinavian-interiors/> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

Eyporsdottir. K, 2011. The story of Scandinavian Design: Combining Function and Aesthetics. [online] Available at: <https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/06/the-story-of-scandinavian-design-combining-function-and-aesthetics/> [Accessed 23 April 2016]

New Materials, New Products 1960's onwards

After all these movements in design when they come to want to produce something, designers look back to see how they would come up with a new design inspired from the past.

New materials and new products were being introduced from the 1960's onwards. Technology and design in the period of the post war has brought in a challenge, regarding socialism, morally, economic and political tensions that all this has made a change for a new beginning to a new century and millennium.

Such food processors, microwaves ovens, cellular phones, compact disks and personal computers are among the most obvious examples of technologies, these are affecting the contemporary world of products and the power that defines the relationship between work and leisure in the industrially developed nations of the world.

Computers and internet have stimulated the marketing and merchandising,as it also accelerated the emphasis upon the design of information and communication technology.

One could tell that design implies to what's going on in society and its culture, according to news, protests and other highlights. One in many other design examples of that time is of the space age, where here the fashion designer used textile for hats as material, represented with spots and moon prints on them to link more the concept of what was going on at that time.  

Space age look by Paco Rabanne, 1964

Such as the retro Nivico 3240 TV of the 1970's, it was made out of plastic, coloured in red and has a rounded shape that links to the concept of that time being, since there was the space age emphasized.
The contemporary design has distributed many designs that I link to the back days when they were emphasizing so much on such soft round shaped designs.

JVC Nivico 3240 TV, 1970's

This is an advert of the table lamps by Michael Lax which is called the 'Lytegem', it was popularised in the 1960's. It was a development of high-intensity bulbs, a generation of minimal design for table lamps. This had such features that could make the lamp 6 inch tall, with an antenna-like arm adjustment and could be used as a paper weight when not in use, this was made out of metal, zinc, brass and aluminium.

Lytegem table lamp by Michael Lax, 1965

Another design from the 1966 is the ball chair by Eero Aarnio, where the design aspect has an isolation and intimacy feeling when sitting in it.

Ball chair by Eero Aarnio, 1966

I compare the ball chair with the Wicher Egg chair design. This design is quite known, as we see it in many different markets. It is made out of aluminium, which the tubular steel stand is hanging the chair furniture. The concept of the design itself is very close to the one of the ball chair and very possible that this design have been inspired from the design of Eero Aarnio.

Wicker outdoor round egg chair 2014 -hanging swing rattan pod

In addition to plastics, plywood and plastic laminates were also common materials for industrially designed furniture.

Advertisement of Masonite wall paneling. Better Homes and Gardens, January 1962

The plastic laminated surfaces gives a smooth and durable work surface that could be easily cleaned. The appeal of this material led to its popularity for tables and cabinet surfaces in kitchens, manufactured and widely marketed by the Formica company. This has been developed as a form of plastic insulation and a coating for machine gears, this application evolved after World War II.

It's function is of a stool or can also be used as a side table, as there is shown in the picture below. 

Murai Reiko Tanabe stool by Tendo Mokko, 1960

References:


Cripmotions, 2014. Luxury Wicker Outdoor Round Furniture Egg Chair Hanging Swing Rattan Pod. [online] Available at: <http://cripmotions.xyz/luxury-wicker-outdoor-round-furniture-egg-chair-hanging-swing-rattan-pod/> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Casey, 2011. Element Timeless Design for Modern Business -Single post. [blog] Available at:<http://themes.simplethemes.com/element/video> [Accessed 29 April 2016]

Raizman, D., 2004. History of Modern Design.Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.