Week 13: Modernism in America Part 2

This modernism approach took place from 1950 to 1960. This style was very popular in Western culture and there were many different characteristics such as flat roofs, asymmetry, and expansive walls of glass. It was also the first style to use bi-level structures. The color schemes used for this period were very warm and nature-centered such as olive green, mustard yellow, and pumpkin. Other colors were also popular such as grey, black, pink, and turquoise. Along with the colors, different furnishings such as plastic, metal, laminates, and fiberglass helped fuel creativity. Like many other art styles we focused on, modernism emphasizes the creativity of nature and how it can complement architecture.

One of the most influential designers in this period was Eero Saarinen. He was educated in Yale School of Architecture. He was a Finnish architect who produced furniture with knoll. Knoll is a design established in 1938 in New York by Florence Knoll. This firm consists of more office-style furniture, textiles, and accessories. An example of this was his tulip chair. This chair had a strange foundation as it was curved up like a cone to serve as the base. It has the name tulip because its one-leg design resembles the stem of a blooming flower. The colors also may lead to that interpretation as the chair is white except for the seat which is bright red. The chair's aluminum base helps ensure stability and the finish on the fiberglass shell is what makes it durable.

The characteristics and style of Saarinen were that he wasn't committed to one style of furniture but he considered the needs and desires of his clients. he used neo-furniture characteristics which consist of symmetrical lines and geometric shapes. He was especially known for the use of curves and the abundant use of glass. The method he used was a sculptural approach to furniture design. Furniture was generally created from aluminum and fiberglass. He also used primary colors such as red, yellow, orange, and white.

One step further: Isamu Noguchi

Noguchi was a major Japanese and American architect who created many works in the span of over 60  years. His ultimate objective was to create structures that would enhance different social settings such as gardens, fountains, and the natural landscape. He created works that merged geometric and organic and he made art that challenged the boundaries of sculpture with his style of surrealism, abstraction, and emotion. This can be seen in his piece called Death made in 1934. It is a sculpture inspired by the death of an African-American man by the name of George Hughes who was lynched in 1930. He created this sculpture for the 1935 exhibition to protest against the rise of lynching. Along with the sculpture being hung, the figure is also very malnourished with his head twisted. To this day, the art remains potent.

One of his more abstract and peculiar works is the Noguchi coffee table designed in 1944. The base features two identical curved wooden pieces that interlock together. There is glass tabletop that is held together with three metal pins. Its unique shape among the base and its functionality has led to its simplistic but special design. Because of the recovery from world war 2, many designers wanted to create furniture that was beautiful for the owner but also affordable. Noguchis solution was to create a coffee table that had natural easily accessible materials such as wood and glass, but designed in a way to remain elegant. Noguchi beleived that tables were meant to support objects and not be seen as an object by itself. By using transparent glass, the table could easily showcase the base. The table does not try to conceal anything but rather reveals everything from the materials form the natural grains to the interlocking of the bizzare shapes. 

References: Isamu Noguchi Sculptures, Bio, Ideas | TheArtStory

                    Secrets of the Noguchi Table (youtube.com)