Week 12: Pop, Postmodernism, and the Remix

post-­‐modernism and the REMIX

less is more

 less is more

less  is  a bore

Postmodern Chairs: Robert Venturi and Denise Sco: Brown, 1977

Levi:own, Pennsylvania, 1959 Father Knows Best, TV Guide Cover, 1956

Bob Dylan Milton Glaser, 1966

complexity and contradic7on [Venturi, 1966]

[We] can no longer afford to be inOmidated by the puritanically moral language of orthodox Modern architecture. I like elements which are hybrid rather than “pure,” compromising rather than “clean,” distorted rather than “straighWorward,” ambiguous rather than “arOculated,” perverse as well as impersonal, boring as well as “interesOng,” conven4onal rather than “designed,” accommoda4ng rather than excluding, redundant rather than simple, ves4gial as well as innovaOng, inconsistent and equivocal rather than direct and clear. I am for messy vitality over obvious unity.

15 minutes and the Factory

Andy Warhol, Electric Chair, 1967

Andy Warhol, Brillo Boxes, 1968

Roy Lichtenstein, In the Car, 1963

Independent Group: 1952-­‐55

MARY QUANT The Age of the Mini Skirt, 1960s

Alexander Girard, blanket and ashtray, ca.1967

Braniff Air

Braniff Stewardess in Pucci “Jellybean Jets” by Girard

Girard, interior design for Braniff Air, c.1970

Verner Panton, Visiona II, Cologne Furniture Fair, 1970

“Phantasy Landscape” Verner Panton, Visiona II, Cologne Furniture Fair, 1970

Victor Vasarely, Op Art PainOngs, Hungarian, c.1969

Verner Panton, Spiegel Headquarters, cafeteria, Hamburg, 1969

Verner Panton, Astoria Hotel and Restaurant, Norway, 1960

Alex MacIntyre, “ Trip Box” installed at Maples Department Store, London, 1970-­‐1

Staffan Berglund Villa Spies, Stockholm, Sweden, 1969

Staffan Berglund, Motorized Elevated Dining Area, Villa Spies, Sweden, 1969

Eero Aarnio, Ball Chair+ PasOl Chair 1966-­‐68

Joe Colombo, 1967-­‐69 “Living Systems” Flexible SeaOng Systems + Tube Chair

Habitat of the Future Joe Colombo, Visiona I, Cologne Furniture Fair, 1969

Stanley Kubrick, 2001: A Space Odyssey, 1969

postmodernism AT&T building (aka Sony Building) Philip Johnson New York, 1984

Charles W. Moore, Piazza d'Italia, New Orleans, 1979

Stanley Federman, Café du Triangle, Los Angeles, CA, 1984

Memphis E:ore So:sass 1981

Learning from Las Vegas Robert Venturi and Denise Sco: Brown 1972

Robert Venturi and Denise Sco: Brown, Sainsbury Wing, NaOonal Gallery, London, 1991

Paula Scher Swatch Watch Poster USA, 1985

Historical reprise has been a mixed blessing. At once it serves to educate designers about history, making them more open to learn about past eras and epochs, but also sancOons easy formal soluOons devoid of originality. While some criOcs argue that overt borrowing from the past tends to trivialize both past and present by promoOng rote design, others argue that the introducOon of these reprises serves to enliven the field by offering more creaOve opOons. Where history is intelligently absorbed the results are invisible. Where history is used effecOvely as a model, a sense of appropriateness is usually apparent. But where history is just a cut-­‐and-­‐paste procedure, the result is almost always a cliché.

Steven Heller, Design Literacy