DESIGN ALTERNATIVESThe 60's and 70's

“The inadequacy of the purely purpose-oriented form is revealed for what it is – a monotonous, impoverished, boring practicality."
~ Theodore W. Adorno

What do you think of when you think of the 1960's and 1970's? Chances are you think of hippie communes, flower power, and Woodstock. Just peace, love, and grooviness? Probably not. The '60's and the 70's also encompassed the Viet Nam War, Watergate, the Civil Rights Movement and student unrest on campuses across the nation. How about the OPEC oil crisis of 1973 that brought on a general sense of economic and ecological vulnerability that filtered down into most walks of life? Whatever comes to your mind, admittedly this was a time of dynamic change in all aspects of society. Informed by the turbulence of the era, a plethora of design alternatives resulted.

Thomas Hauffe, in his book Design: An Illustrated Historical Overview explains: "The counterculture, rock music, young people, pop art, movies not just from Hollywood but from countries around the world – all contributed to a new perspective on the nature of design. Radical counter-movements against functionalist architecture as well as against the dominance of mainstream industry and design institutions sprang up…"

"The youth culture of the 1960’s represented a revolt against traditional behavior patterns, while pop art represented a rebellion against aesthetic norms. The banal objects of daily life (e.g. soup cans, hamburgers), comics, and advertisements simultaneously stood as art and as a parody of the consumer society in the pictures of Roy Lichtenstein, Claus Oldenburg, and Andy Warhol.

This new aesthetic reached the sphere of the designers. The (new) synthetic materials allowed playful, often ironic and provocative forms, and in connection with the revolt of the 1968 generation against the conventional middle-class life-style, alternative models of living were explored."

In addition, the initial successes in the field of space exploration conjured up visions of space travel, which were projected in film and fashion, but also in furniture designs. (Did you think of Stanley Kubrick’s cult film 2001: A Space Odyssey? How about Star Trek or even the Jetson’s?)

Amidst all of the new industrial materials and processes and alongside the peace signs and paisleys, another form of "anti-establishmentarianism" was beginning. The revival of craft traditions began to humanize design in the 1960’s through the use of natural materials and unique, one-of-a-kind objects. The Studio Furniture makers embraced concepts that included simplicity, vernacular or modern stylistic traditions, and a loving and respectful use of natural resources. A conscious rejection of machine-made furniture brought the artisan traditions of the 19th century Arts and Crafts societies to the forefront, thus elevating furniture, once again, from its purely functional roots to Amidst all of the new industrial materials and processes and alongside the peace signs and paisleys, another form of "anti-establishmentarianism" was beginning. The revival of craft traditions began to humanize design in the 1960’s through the use of natural materials and unique, one-of-a-kind objects. The Studio Furniture makers embraced concepts that included simplicity, vernacular or modern stylistic traditions, and a loving and respectful use of natural resources. A conscious rejection of machine-made furniture brought the artisan traditions of the 19th century Arts and Crafts societies to the forefront, thus elevating furniture, once again, from its purely functional roots to a fine art.

Hauffe goes on to say, "The euphoric atmosphere surrounding mass production and the purely purposive rationalism of modern design were now increasingly attacked, while the role of design in a capitalistic society was loudly questioned. Not all designers wanted either to be, or to be perceived as, pawns of industry, perpetuating value systems that no longer served a useful purpose. They chose to work independently and experimentally for themselves."

So let’s take a look at these decades of experimentation, pop/rock music, bell bottoms, and macramé to explore some of the plastic-fantastic, tie-dyed design alternatives, shall we?