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Hypersonic · 09-26-2006, 01:47 AM

Thanks notic

. I didn't think anybody was interested anymore.

You don't need to know much about design to contribute -- I have just been posting things that I like. It wasn't supposed to be a history lecture ...I just get carried away sometimes

I'm glad you find it interesting because I have a really big interest in design -- graphic, fashion, but mostly industrial product design -- like furniture, appliances, and of course, automobiles.

I think furniture design is particularly interesting because it is often through furniture design that social trends and technological advancements are first translated into consumer-products for the real world.

In late 1940s and early 1950s USA, everything "Atomic" suddenly entered the popular imagination. High science, was translated into consumer products for the "The Atomic Age".

Molecular model of Aspirin

The designs are quite kitsch - they often take great inspiration from microbiology and scientific models of molecular structures.

A child's toy from the 1950s.

The biomorphic style of much popular design in the 1950s was eclectically combined with other popular interpretations of recent technological developments -- the 1950s were an exciting time for science -- design of that time was always optimistic, always looking to the future, taking great inspiration from the zeitgeist of discovery, "The Atomic age", "The Rocket Age", and "The Jet Age" -- it seemed like nothing was impossible, and science and technology were going to make all our lives better -- it was going to be an exciting and glorious future. Household objects started to look like they could fly -- streamlined refrigerators and aerodynamic kitchen blenders -- also new materials were being exploited, like plastic laminate (Formica) covered kitchen surfaces ..sometimes printed with biomorphic or atomic design themes.

Possibly the ultimate popular expression of "the spirit of mid 20th century America" is the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado.

Abstract Expressionism
The curious thing about High art of this time is, amidst all of this great social and technological change, Fine art was becoming increasingly inward-looking, no longer taking inspiration from the outside world, but rather, looking to new forms of artistic expression unrelated to the "real world". High art was more concerned with: the process, intention, or concept, of the artwork itself more than the subject matter.

Franz Kline, untitled, 1957

Mark Rothko, "White Center", 1950

Pop Art
Pop Art rejected the intellectualism and elitism of the Abstract Expressionists. Pop Artists immersed themselves in the popular imagery and casual attitudes of the "Throw-away" society. Taking their ideas from magazines, advertising, comics and everyday objects of mid-20th century consumer culture, but also the industrial processes that produced them.

Richard Hamilton, "Just What Is It that Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing?", 1956

Robert Indinas, "LOVE", 1963

Soviet Art
Under Josef Stalin, all forms of Modernism were officially banned in the Soviet Union -- even the music of Debussy and Stravinsky was considered "undemocratic Western decadence" by the Soviet officials. The Soviet artists of this time were utterly discouraged from any form of self-expression; instead they were required to create art that upheld Communist ideals and celebrated the USSRs achievements.

I have a personal love of Soviet Sculpture ...it is mostly total propaganda, but it is grandiose and powerful ...and ironically, despite rejecting Western Modernism, can now be understood more in the context of Postmodernism.

Russian Monument to Space flight. It is made from titanium.

09-26-2006, 01:47 AM	#30 (permalink)
Hypersonic Connoisseur Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 5,582 My Mood: Thanks: 1,058 Thanked 881 Times in 538 Posts	Re: New objects Thanks notic . I didn't think anybody was interested anymore. You don't need to know much about design to contribute -- I have just been posting things that I like. It wasn't supposed to be a history lecture ...I just get carried away sometimes I'm glad you find it interesting because I have a really big interest in design -- graphic, fashion, but mostly industrial product design -- like furniture, appliances, and of course, automobiles. I think furniture design is particularly interesting because it is often through furniture design that social trends and technological advancements are first translated into consumer-products for the real world. In late 1940s and early 1950s USA, everything "Atomic" suddenly entered the popular imagination. High science, was translated into consumer products for the "The Atomic Age". Molecular model of Aspirin The designs are quite kitsch - they often take great inspiration from microbiology and scientific models of molecular structures. A child's toy from the 1950s. The biomorphic style of much popular design in the 1950s was eclectically combined with other popular interpretations of recent technological developments -- the 1950s were an exciting time for science -- design of that time was always optimistic, always looking to the future, taking great inspiration from the zeitgeist of discovery, "The Atomic age", "The Rocket Age", and "The Jet Age" -- it seemed like nothing was impossible, and science and technology were going to make all our lives better -- it was going to be an exciting and glorious future. Household objects started to look like they could fly -- streamlined refrigerators and aerodynamic kitchen blenders -- also new materials were being exploited, like plastic laminate (Formica) covered kitchen surfaces ..sometimes printed with biomorphic or atomic design themes. Possibly the ultimate popular expression of "the spirit of mid 20th century America" is the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado. Abstract Expressionism The curious thing about High art of this time is, amidst all of this great social and technological change, Fine art was becoming increasingly inward-looking, no longer taking inspiration from the outside world, but rather, looking to new forms of artistic expression unrelated to the "real world". High art was more concerned with: the process, intention, or concept, of the artwork itself more than the subject matter. Franz Kline, untitled, 1957 Mark Rothko, "White Center", 1950 Pop Art Pop Art rejected the intellectualism and elitism of the Abstract Expressionists. Pop Artists immersed themselves in the popular imagery and casual attitudes of the "Throw-away" society. Taking their ideas from magazines, advertising, comics and everyday objects of mid-20th century consumer culture, but also the industrial processes that produced them. Richard Hamilton, "Just What Is It that Makes Today's Homes So Different, So Appealing?", 1956 Robert Indinas, "LOVE", 1963 Soviet Art Under Josef Stalin, all forms of Modernism were officially banned in the Soviet Union -- even the music of Debussy and Stravinsky was considered "undemocratic Western decadence" by the Soviet officials. The Soviet artists of this time were utterly discouraged from any form of self-expression; instead they were required to create art that upheld Communist ideals and celebrated the USSRs achievements. I have a personal love of Soviet Sculpture ...it is mostly total propaganda, but it is grandiose and powerful ...and ironically, despite rejecting Western Modernism, can now be understood more in the context of Postmodernism. Russian Monument to Space flight. It is made from titanium. Last edited by Hypersonic; 10-25-2006 at 12:31 AM..