Protomodernism

 

The reading this week goes over the development of modern furniture design, a time between the 19th and 20th centuries. It covers prominent movements like the Vienna Secession, which rejected traditional designs and focused on fresh, abstract forms. The chapter also talked about De Stijl, a Dutch movement that used basic shapes and primary colors to create plain, modern furnishings.

                                        Armchair                                             Modern Armchair

It described Russian Constructivism, which merged art and industrial processes to create innovative and practical furniture. It describes the art of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and how he mixed Art Nouveau with clean, geometric lines, creating beautiful and practical pieces of furniture.

                                    Dining Room                                    Modern Dining Room

The chapter also mentioned Thailand, where ancient motifs began fusing with modern designs. Finally, Frank Lloyd Wright is credited with the furniture that blended well with nature, crafting items that seamlessly fit in with his structures. The movements and the designers themselves were all contributing factors to the way modern furniture looks today.

                                                    Armoire                                    Modern Armoire

One Step Further:

Frank Gehry is a well-known American and Canadian architect known for his unorthodox and innovative architecture. His buildings have unusual forms and use materials like metal and glass in innovative and new manners. His most famous building is the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, which has smooth, curvy lines that differ from traditional forms of buildings.

Gehry's work focuses on creating interesting spaces that blend with their environment. Gehry challenges architects to become more creative and try new materials and forms. Not only are his structures efficient, they also look like modern art. Gehry's impact has made many other architects think out of the box, changing the way we design not just buildings but cities and interiors too.