Blog #10 - Famous American Designers

When looking at the history of art and design in the United States, it is hard to overlook the collaborative work of Charles and Ray Eames. The combined vision of this architect and artist respectively has arguably had a profound impact, as many of their creations are considered stellar pieces of 20^th century American design.

The style of this duo grew as a reaction to modernism, and the two saw their work to be an extension of art. This led to a seamless merge with industrial design, in order to produce useful furniture and other concepts. As Charles himself noted, “Make the most with the least.” One finds this motto applied to much of his work, as he essentially revolutionized the production methods used to mold goods from plywood. As his designs were often dictated by the shape of the human body, many of Eames creations required the application of complex curves achieved through a molding process. This approach enabled him to use minimal amounts of padding and upholstery, allowing for a reduction in production costs.

Eames Splint

Plywood in particular has proven to be difficult to mold, as the pressure required in bending these sheets of wood easily results in splintering. Nevertheless, this material was an ideal substitute to metal and plastic. These industrial inputs were very limited during and after WWII, pushing Eames to continue the pursuit of reliable plywood molding. We see his attempts come to fruition in two of his most notable projects. It began with a splint designed for troops to use while deployed on oversees battlefields. It would enable for lightweight transportation, and replace metal splints which were far more prone to vibration and could lead to further injury. Because the splints were still considered prototypes in their manufacturing, they required sections to be drilled from the material, in order to relieve excessive pressure within the plywood. The grooves and passages produced by this removal of material gave medics the unique ability to secure bandages used to stop bleeding.

The knowledge Eames gained in developing this splint led him to once again approach the idea of building a chair, which he had previously considered as too complex to mold from plywood. The design was to be dictated by the material, a decision that would prove to be the key in developing the Eames Chair. This iconic piece of furniture has become a true collector’s item, as we see it gracing the office of Dr. House in the FOX TV show.

While Charles was commonly the visionary behind the form of his work, it was Ray which had the gift of dictating color. The black and white world of her husband’s design was thus illuminated by her, and led to an array of successful furniture collections after the release of their first line in 1946. The collaborative efforts of the Eames have consequently proven to be innovative for their time, yet remain advanced in the eyes of furniture connoisseurs today. 

Blog #9 - Reaction Styles

Arts and Crafts:

The Arts and Crafts movement flourished during the second half of the 19^th century, and was largely a reaction against the growing influence industrialization had on traditional design and craftsmanship. The movement was greatly inspired by William Morris, who wanted to emphasize the intimate customs involved in the creation of art and architecture created primarily by hand. The unique attributes which characterize such work was considered to be lost in a society moving towards the rapid output of an industrialized economy. The Arts and Crafts movement deemed this not just harmful to design, but also to the economy, as the work of individuals was being replaced by that of machinery. 

A particular example of Arts and Crafts design can be found in the Morris chair. This chair was originally designed and built by Morris & Company around the 1860s, but is still being copied today. It features traditional use of wooden materials along with characteristic joinery. The chair was built to recline, and commonly featured an upholstered seat and back cushion.

Aesthetic Style:

The Aesthetic style was greatly focused on the concept of beauty. Largely considered a philosophical movement, the idea was to create art and design that was naturally beautiful, for whatever reason. One was to consider beauty as a separate concept all together, an attribute anything man made or found in nature can carry. Pioneers of this type of thought were individuals such as Oscar Wilde, who essentially wanted to be engulfed with beauty and aesthetic design in all aspects of his personal and professional life as a writer and poet. 

This concept of transcending beauty meant that design following the aesthetic style was largely unrestricted when it came to selecting captivating design from around the world. We consequently see progressive English designer Edward William Godwin influenced by Japanese furniture in establishing his own style. This is seen in the reliance of right angle geometry, employing square shaped patterns to create what will ultimately be considered Anglo-Japanese design.

Art Nouveau:

The Art Nouveau movement became a prominent art and design philosophy at the end of the 19^th century. The name is originally French, and translates to “new art.” This movement was popular all throughout Europe, and was seen as the transition between the neoclassical style and true modernism. Where the Arts and Crafts looked to emphasis historical knowledge in creating contemporary design, the Art Nouveau movement wanted to reject any historical influence. This led to very fluid and natural design, capturing a sense of movement and motion.

Mackintosh:

Charles Rennie Mackintosh develops a style that draws on all three of the previously mentioned styles. He was a Scottish designer that worked together with his wife Margaret MacDonald in creating many noteworthy turnkey designs at the end of the 19^th century. We see his design become very much a reaction to the influence of industrialization, as his designs focus greatly on creating primarily attractive and unique homes and living spaces, rather than generic or mass produced goods. We see his style incorporate free flowing designs of the Art Nouveau with the clean lines of Japanese design to create a unique and one off environment for his clients. This creates the contrast in his work, as he employs natural motifs like the Scottish rose alongside stark geometric statements like his ladder-back chairs.

Vienna Secession:

The Vienna secession was very much the Art Nouveau of Germany and Austria. This stylistic movement wanted to completely distance itself from an historical influence, in order to create purely contemporary designs. We consequently see the emergence of the “Jugendstil,” which translates to Youth style, in order to symbolize this new approach. This reaction to traditionalism was well incorporated in Josef Hoffman’s designs, as he borrowed little from the past in creating furniture like the chair seen on the right. These pieces of furniture often captured a delicate balance between form and function, as they offered striking appearances blended with comfort considerations.

Blog #8 - Monticello and Fallingwater

Monticello

Thomas Jefferson was involved in the continuous remodeling of his plantation and the structures within it for the better part of forty years. He used this property as the grounds for experimentations ranging from architectural to horticultural, and in many ways tried to found a new vision for construction in the United States. Consequently we see Monticello reflective of an alternative to Federal design, which was based largely on the Adamesque style originating from England. Monticello is thus less a statement of urban design, and is rather focused on the incorporation of nature and the many surrounding gardens of the property. 

The main structure is built to be a vantage point of what is outside, instead of simply serving as the central marvel of the plantation, as would be common in the Adamesque style. Jefferson’s home was hence becoming an example of neoclassical architecture, largely influenced by Andrea Palladio, of whom he owned several books. Jefferson gained this influence after serving as Minister of the United States to France following the death of his wife in 1782. This led Jefferson to discover Palladio’s Villa Rotunda, a structure which influenced him greatly in the layout and design of Monticello. Features like the Sky-room along with the use exterior and interior cornice work, and selected symmetry of Monticello are subsequently design features adopted from Palladio’s structure. In fact, Jefferson often referred to Monticello as a “Villa” himself. 

Overall this property is therefore very much an extension of Jefferson’s curious and experimental nature, drawing from his influences gained while serving in Europe. The many gardens and elevated landscape led Jefferson to pursue a layout different from the Federal approach common at the end of the 18^th century, and resulted in a mesmerizing structure reminiscent of a chateau or villa in the country side of France or Italy, rather than a traditional Colonial dwelling.

Fallingwater

With Fallingwater, Frank Lloyd Wright created a structure that distanced itself greatly from the vastly industrial conquests shaping the United States at the time. The organic layout of this building evokes a spiritual nature usually reserved for age old temples or other ancient structures. This organic approach is matched with modernism in functional and visual form, as the layout of this structure requires engineering complexity concealed by minimalistic design and material uniformity. 

We find the use of cantilevers to support the floors and ceilings of the home, giving Fallingwater the appearance of having grown into place above the rushing currents, much like the course a first leaf would take in becoming a tree. The construction of these sophisticated support structures was not perfect, and noticeable sag has developed in these cantilevers due to inadequate settling and deflection considerations. 

Yet even with a few engineering fallbacks, this structure remains commendable in its vision and execution, appreciating a truly modern appeal even though it was built in the 1930s.

Chairs

Morris Chair:

The Morris chair was designed and built by Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. of England in the late 1800s. These chairs were unique in that they featured an adjustable backrest, along with elevated armrests. This gave the chair a traditional appearance, but also provided for a good level of comfort. The chairs were commonly upholstered, and typically representative of the Victorian style.

Slant Back Chair:

The Slant Back Chair was a staple in Frank Lloyd Wright’s turnkey designs, and can be found in many of his creations, including the Hillside Home School, Unity Temple and the Larkin Administration Building. These chairs reflected Wright's love for local materials, especially wood, but primarily employed machining work in place of traditional finishing techniques. This created clean geometric designs, using natural materials. These chairs were built predominantly in the early 1900s.

Ladderback Chair:

The Ladderback Chair was one of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s many great pieces of interior design. It shows great design considerations, and includes the word “ladder” due to its tall slender shape, and its 25 individual steps within the back panel of the chair. This chair was ideal for filling narrow spaces that would otherwise remain void, and incorporated considerations of lighting and atmosphere typical to the art nouveau of the early 1900s.

Voyeuse Chair:

The Voyeuse chair is a characteristic representation of the growing pursuit for leisure activities and entertainment emerging during the time of the Rococo. With the rejection of strict stylistic adherence, and an emphasis on comfort and informality, the Rococo developed furniture like the Voyeuse chair. It was designed for the game-room, and offered comfort both to the participant of a certain game, as well as an observant bystander, keen to look over his or her shoulder. This is why we see the use of upholstery not just for the seat and back cushion but also on top of the backrest, in order to allow a second individual to comfortably rest their arms while leaning slightly forward. One finds these chairs primarily appearing during the 1700’s, built at the hands of gilded craftsmen in France.