Modernism in America part 2

 

Modernism in America part 2


April 6th 2023


Modernism design began in the 1900’s and expanded to the United states. In the 1900s there were two forms of design. There was pre-war modernism which focused on theoretical and idealistic and post-war focused on practical and applied design. Fast forward to the mid century of the 1950’s design , it has only enhanced from where it came from.

Mid-century modernism consisted of many features which included flat roofs,angular details and asymmetrical profiles. With these features they took walls to be glass and continue the clean lines and open floor plan from what was used back in the day. Another feature they focused on was colors. As Interior designers we can understand that color is very important to setting the tone for a room. This is why color schemes were very essential. They focused on warmer , earthy colors. As of now you see more simplistic, warm colors that did emerge from this mid century era. Below is a color palette that shows some of the colors used.

Furniture is also another key essential in the Mid-century Modernism design. They focused on some key materials in their designs. Such as plastics, resin,metal composites,laminates and fiberglass all helped to fuel their boundless creativity. With that being said there were some essential designers Eero Saarinen, Charles and Ray Eames , George Nelson and Isamu Noguci. All these designers had unique designs with the modernism design. 


Chair Design: 

Tulip Chair , Eero Saarinen

Eero design focused on primary colors such as red, orange, yellow and white. He focused on fiberglass and aluminum for his materials.  A quote he said was “The purpose of architecture is to shelter and enhance man’s life on earth and to fulfill his belief in the nobility of his existence,”. Which really stood out to me as a designer because he wants to fulfill the life of a person's home. A home is more than just a place to live, it's a place you spend the most time at. As a designer we have to take that into consideration which is very key. 

  LA Chaise, Charles/Ray Eames

    Charles and Ray Eames was another essential designer that wanted to experiment with plywood and plastics. He wanted to create designs that were curvy and experimental overall. Which made his  designs very unique compared to the other designers. The design is very organic,simplistic and modern. 


Marshmallow Sofa, George Nelson

       George Nelson created designs that were considered iconic modern furniture. He designed over 80 furniture pieces for specifically Herman Miller. George focused on creating designs that were mainly for offices. Which is why he created the Marshmallow sofa. Its modern, unique and adds pops of color to set the tone for the office building overall. 


One step further:


Charles and Ray Eames

    These designers were designers that were ambitious and wanted to create furniture that had a great influence on the average lifestyle. They included Ergonomic factors when creating their designs. A quote that stood out to me was when Ray said “I never gave up painting, I just changed my palette.”. Which stood out because  not everyone can change their style. It shows that these designers can take the time to explore other options in there design without just sticking to what they are comfortable with. 


Other Sources: 


Charles and Ray Eames Journey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8rICo44kAE


Mid -Century design explained

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi6A618dI_Y

Comments

  1. Eva SerratoApril 15, 2023 at 5:40 AM

    Kahlan,
    I appreciated how you introduced the style of mid century modern by describing the history before the style and then the characteristics of the style. You helped me understand how influential this style was for interior design and how it helped shape how we design today. You showed a good understanding on the different types of furniture created in this era and the different material they used and how it contributed to the design.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Izabella CleavelandApril 15, 2023 at 12:09 PM

    Kahlan,

    Your detail was very spot on with talking about the history of mid-century modernism and going into depth with the colors and materials used in the design. I especially liked the different design chairs that you put in the blog and how it relates to the color scheme you began talking about. Lastly, I liked your one step further and discussion their philosophy.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Professor VanderNoordaaApril 22, 2023 at 4:58 AM

    Kahlan,
    This Blog post is well done! I love how you lay down a historical introduction to MCM. I must say I still love the color palette of this period and see it popular even today in fashion and design.
    Going into detail concerning influential furniture designers during this period was a great choice.
    Lastly, focusing on Charles and Ray Eames and their contributions was a perfect ending.
    Total Points; 50/50

    ReplyDelete

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