Using molded plywood for “seat and back forms to fit the human anatomy” ( 3), this Eames chair-which was mass-produced by Herman Miller in the 1950s-eschews rigid geometry and industrial materials in favor of a more natural aesthetic. One example of organic forms in design would be this 1946 chair, one of many designed by Charles and Ray Eames in the postwar period. This contrasted the previous dominant design aesthetic, in which “machines were revered as technical marvels and artistic icons, cars, airplanes, and locomotives were celebrated in ordinary objects such as radios, clocks, and pencil sharpeners” ( 4). Organic design often employs “materials found in nature prevalently curvilinear” shapes ( 3). This style used “shapes inspired by nature…to evoke living entities, ranging from amoebas and plant life to the human figure” ( 2). Organic forms were another hallmark characteristic of Atomic Age design. Regardless of the precise motivation, the emergence of nuclear iconography in the home shows that the atom-with all its potential applications-was on the minds of everyday Americans. Perhaps it was both, as Americans tried to contend with the complex implications of this new technology. Others believe that this trend reflected the optimism some Americans held toward the peacetime applications of atomic science, particularly its potential role in replacing coal and fuel as a source of electricity. Some speculate that the lighthearted visual appropriation of the atom in domestic objects was a way of taming anxieties over the destructive power of atomic weapons. Other examples include this wallpaper or the lighting fixtures to the left and below. George Nelson’s 1949 Ball Wall Clock is a famous example of this. Some of these pieces drew inspiration from the structure of the atom itself, and incorporated visual representations of the atom as a motif. Many of these homes featured interior decorative elements inspired by the Atomic Age. The new suburban homes constructed in this period were often modern, “simpler more streamlined” than their predecessors ( 1). In the aftermath of World War II, the United States underwent a period of mass suburbanization. Spanning the late 1940s through about 1960, Atomic Age design is characterized by references and responses to nuclear science and the atomic bomb.
SPACE AGE ART PORTABLE
The 1959 Cadillac Coupe DeVille featured taillights inspired by a rocket engine, and the Futuro House by Matti Suuronen imitated the iconic look of the flying saucer as a portable ski chalet.The development of nuclear weapons had a notable impact on many aspects of American culture, including design. Other prominent fashion designers from this era included André Courrèges and Paco Rabanne, with iconic designs like the gogo boots being released in the 60s.Īutomotive and architectural designs frequently took notes from Space Age themes as well.
The term was first formally coined in 1964, when Pierre Cardin launched his "Space Age" line. The Space Age was a universal concept in design, spanning from fashion to architecture and beyond. Several innovations began as NASA technologies, like memory foam, LED lighting, freeze dried foods, and even the internet. This era saw incredible innovation in rocketry, materials science, and other areas, much of which eventually trickled down into mainstream use in other fields.
SPACE AGE ART FULL
Given that the period was full of exploration in engineering and science, Space Age designers also sought to evolve their given fields and push boundaries farther than ever before. Plastics became an increasingly popular material as mass manufacture became accessible, and designers took full advantage of the doors opened by the new medium. Space Age design emerged in the early 1950s amidst immense upheaval of the status quo, and sought to illustrate a utopian future in the wake of the second World War.
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