Designing Home: Jews and Mid-Century Modernism
September 22, 2014
Less than two weeks are left to visit "Designing Home: Jews and Midcentury Modernism" at the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco. This is a must see show if you are a designer, maker, or anyone passionate about mid-century modernism.
I know everyone who reads this blog can't visit San Francisco, so I will showcase a few very special images from the exhibition (taken with my cell phone) and share a few observations.
Mid-century modernism is one of my design interests that only seems to intensify with more visibility of exhibitions like this one. Nothing compares to seeing the actual objects, furniture, and graphics in person, all collected at one location for hours of study. And it seems that as this time period of mid 20th century grows more popular, more objects surface that I haven't seen before.
One observation that will be repeated in this post and the next is that the vocabulary and design elements of the furniture and home decor were designed to fit the mid-century modernism architecture of the house.
Architects often designed furniture for the home. This chair (above) by Rudolf Schindler is one example. Rudolf Schindler was part of an inter-connected world of architects in Southern California. This is highlighted in the film Visual Acoustics about the architecture photography of Julius Shulman. A must see for everyone interested in design, this video will be discussed in the next post.
This combination of sofa & skyscraper bookcase by Paul Frankel was stunning. I've seen many examples of Paul Frankl skyscraper bookcases but never this particular example. My photo does not do it justice.
Besides the amazing bookcase with its multiple levels of depth and height (just like the architecture of the time) look at the arm of the sofa. The sloping angle was just like angles in the domestic architecture. The angle was also repeated in the exhibition installation and CJM museum architecture. Look for it when you visit.
This combination of a chair with fabric swatch by Alvin Lustig leaves me speechless. The slice in each square of the fabric is repeated in the chair design, i.e. a slice of space between the arm and the back of the chair. In a museum exhibition there could not have been a better combination.
Go see this exhibition curated by guest curator Donald Albrecht, a nationally noted curator of architecture and design based in New York. If this is not possible there is a fully illustrated color catalog that can be ordered online.
There were many more astounding objects than shown in this post. Stellar examples include Judaica and metalwork, along with a fabulous video of film graphics from the era.
One more really important point brought out in this exhibition is the interconnection of these designers. They created a community of support --and sometimes individualistic competitiveness -- that brought out the best in new and innovative design.
Centers of creative innovation like the Black Mountain College, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, the Pond Farm in Guerneville, California, and the Los Angeles building boom brought these people together.
My daughter wondered how they even knew each other without the internet, but I think that is in itself an important observation. It was the quality of the information rather than the quantity of information. Major magazines of the time frequently displayed quality photographs of home design and architecture. That still holds true today. Quality photographs are instrumental in your success.
This issue will be the topic of the next post as I introduce you to a new film about architecture photographer Julius Shulman.
A FEW BOOKS about mid-century design:
Paul Rand
You know his work even if you don't know his name. He designed many of the iconic corporate logos we still see today.
George Nelson: The Design of Modern Design
Atomic Ranch: Design Ideas for Stylish Ranch Homes
Images and links for the books are provided for your convenience. They are affiliate links and may provide this blog with a few cents. Your support is much appreciated.