In the early twentieth century, designers rejected poorly designed, machine-made furniture and
excessive detail. A group
of German craftsmen,
however, wished to reconcile
machines with sound
workmanship and good
design. After the First World
War (1914-1919), one of
the leaders of this group,
Walter Gropius (1883-1969),
established the Bauhaus
school of design with this
purpose in mind, and to
offer shelter to people left
destitute after the war. In the 1930s the
Bauhaus building, with
its huge glass panels, was
closed due to political
tension.
Gropius and
some of his colleagues
fled to the United States of
America where he – as a
professor of architecture at
Harvard University – and
his colleagues continued
to exercise a tremendous
influence over the arts.
Architecture
To this day, the Bauhaus
continues to be regarded
as the most important
design institution of the
twentieth century. The
group started experimenting
with glass and steel so
that the external world
could be integrated into
living spaces, as seen in
buildings designed by Swiss
architect Le Corbusier
(1887-1965), which appear
to hover above the ground.
A skeleton constructed of
pillars provided support.
The use of this building
method in the past is what
makes it so easy today to
remove interior walls in
flats and apartments.
Furniture
Furniture items from the
Modern era have clean
lines that are devoid of
fussy detail and are
lightweight. Tubular
steel, chrome and
leather were commonly
used. Architects such
as Ludwig Mies van der
Rohe (1886-1969) and
Le Corbusier designed the
furniture to complement
their architecture.
Art Deco (1920 -1939)
This international style
emerged in Paris
in the 1920s. The
term is a contraction of the
Exposition Internationale des
Arts Décoratifs et Industriels
Modernes (International
Exhibition of the Decorative
Arts and Modern Industries)
that was held in Paris in 1925.
How did it begin?
Art Deco is synonymous with
glamour. After the First World
War (1914-1918), people had
a yearning for luxury goods and
this style reached its zenith in
the 1930s. The excess was
short-lived though, because
the Second World War broke
out in 1939.
The inspiration for
Art Deco was derived from a
tremendously diverse variety,
including: antique/ancient
Egypt, traditional tribal art,
surrealism, futurism
and Modernism.
Architecture
Art Deco architecture is characterised by luxurious,
elegant materials and excessive detail such as
high ceilings, rounded or vertical windows, curved
and geometric shapes, and sculptural detail.
The
Chrysler building in New York is a famous Art Deco
landmark and, locally, Cape Town's stylish Old
Mutual building (today a luxury apartment building
called Mutual Heights), with its distinguishing tall,
vertical windows, is a good example. For some time it
was the tallest building in southern Africa.
Décor
Art Deco furniture and décor, in the same way as
the architecture from this era, can be identified by
its flamboyant detail and glamour. Exotic varieties
of wood were used together with luxury materials
such as mother-of-pearl or shagreen for the detail.
The same geometric and rounded shapes of the
architecture are repeated in furniture, glass vases,
and other décor items. Eileen Gray's well-known
E. 1027 adjustable glass table is
a famous, albeit simple, design from that era. The
detail on ashtrays from that era – when
smoking was still considered
elegant – is exceptional.
Pop (1968-1972)
The décor term 'pop' refers to the
popular consumer culture of the
fifties and sixties. The fun items
from that era are often referred to simply
as 'retro'.
How did it begin?
People were tired of the sober seriousness
of the 'good design' and 'less is more'
thinking of the previous decades. The
consumer culture flared up with the advent
of advertising and television, inspiring
designers such as Andy Warhol (1928-
1987).
A throw-away culture – 'use it
today and throw it away tomorrow' – took
root, with plastic becoming popular. When
Neil Armstrong took his first steps on the
moon in July 1969, televisions and radios
suddenly started to look a lot like astronauts'
helmets. The oil crisis of the 1970s,
however, brought an end to the euphoria.
Décor
The post-war era of economic prosperity
and optimism found expression in
rainbow colours, stripes, strong shapes
and geometric motifs. The influence of
the sexual revolution can be observed
in furniture with sensuous shapes, while
kitsch and the space age also played a
significant role.
Why so costly?
Much of the furniture from a specific era or
style, such as Art Deco, Modernism, or pop, is
very expensive, even at second-hand shops.
These pieces have acquired cult status and
have become highly sought-after.
Many of the original pieces are made under
licence according to certain specifications.
The Barcelona chair, for example, can be
identified by Mies van der Rohe's signature on
one of the back legs. You would have to pay
more than R33 000 for the original, whereas
stores such as @home Livingspace and Loads
of Living sell copies from about R6 000.
Therefore, it works more or less the same
way as a Billabong T-shirt: the copy from
China always costs a lot less than the real
thing – and you know why (but that is a
debate for another day).
Click here for our stunning décor gallery.
