Week 12: Post Modernism

Big Sur Sofa by Peter Shire, 1986.

Around the late 60s and early 70s, modernism started to lose its plausibility and not long after that, Post Modernism came into play. Robert Venturi was an Architect who inspired Post Modernism with two books he wrote. He explored design with consideration for historical precedents and his style considered the nuisances of modern living. Post Modernism happened mostly during the 1970s, 80s, and 90s and each of these centuries had characteristics and developments unique to them. 

During the 70s, there was an oil embargo that cut off oil supply in the West, leading to an energy crisis that caused a global recession which in turn wrecked the hopes of modernists and their exploration capabilities.

The 1980s was more of a "grab all I can get"

Isle of Dogs Water Pumping Station, London
John Outram, 1988.

time with people using anything in their disposal, consuming a lot and building giant homes and mansions. There was also an emphasis on entrepreneurship at the time.

Things switched up in the 1990s though with the rise of the environmentalists against the excessive use of unnecessary products that were harmful and caused burdens to the earth and the environment. They tried to limit the use of space and excess material, leading to the creation of things like portable phones and personal computers.

Flamingo Side Table by Michele de Lucchi, 1984.

Post Modernists revolted against the rationality of Modernists and a movement called the' Memphis Movement' resulted from that. The Memphis Movement consisted of a group of designers who were against the strict ideals of the modernists. Inspired by Art Deco and Pop Art, they opted for a more bold, playful, colorful and ironic style. They designed a lot of furniture pieces that were more flashy and colorful than functional as they believed furniture were conversation pieces
to get people talking.

Bel Air Armchair by Peter Shire, 1982.

Another style of this period was the 'Deconstuctivism'. It was a style in the 1980s and was very bold and new. It involved a lot of movements of building parts to create a new 'whole', taking apart buildings and putting it back in new creative and unusual ways that left people feeling astonished.   

Other characteristics of the style included diverse aesthetics, complexity, hi-tech production, new manufacturing processes and materials like injection molded manufacturing of plastics which allowed for the production of more sculptural pieces of furniture. Also prominent was the development of office design and increased rate of people working from home. 

Current Applications:

Markthal Rotterdam in the Netherlands
by MVRDV, 2014.

Postmodern Memphis Movement inspired Interior

A House for Essex in the United Kingdom
by FAT and Grayson Perry, 2014.

One Step Further:

From L to R: Power Play Chair and Ottoman, High Sticking
Chair, Hat Trick Chair, Faceoff Table and Cross Check Chair
Made of laminated hard white maple veneer strips

Frank Gehry was born in Toronto, Canada in 1929 as Frank Owen Goldberg. When he moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1947, his father changed the family's name to Gehry and in his 20's he adopted the name Frank and has since signed his name as Frank O. Gehry. 

Biomuseo in Panama City, Panama. 2014.

He was unsure of his career path and took a variety of courses at the Los Angeles City College while driving a delivery truck to support himself but he was fascinated by art possibilities after he took his first architecture course and although he was impeded by his lack of skill as a draftsman, he confirmed his career choice with some help. He got scholarships to attend the University of Southern California and graduated in 1954 with a degree in architecture.

Preliminary Sketches for the Biomuseo

He briefly worked with Victor Gruen Associates in Los Angeles before he joined the military and a year later, he continued his education at Havard School of Design where he studied city planning but he never completed his graduate degree. He worked with Pereira and Luckman, Victor Gruen associates again and moved to Paris and worked with Andre Remondet where he studied Le Corbusier's work.

He moved back to L.A. in 1962 and established his own firm, Gehry Associates, now known as Gehry Partners, LLP.  He worked in the International Style for a while and then sought to express a more personal vision in his work. His first outlet was his own home and from there, he continued to create a lot of imaginative, whimsy and playful buildings. He has also worked on other things besides architecture including the Wyborowa Vodka bottle, a wristwatch for Fossil, jewelry for Tiffany & Co.

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA. 2003.

and he World Cup of Hockey trophy.

Here are some of Gehry's TED talks:
https://www.ted.com/talks/frank_gehry_as_a_young_rebel?language=en

https://www.ted.com/talks/frank_gehry_asks_then_what