The Chair as an Icon of Design in History - Coursework Example

THE CHAIR AS AN ICON OF DESIGN IN HISTORY MARINA DIMA THE HILL HOUSE CHAIR , Rennie Mackintosh THE CHAIZ LONGUE LC4, Le Corbusier THE SUPERLEGGERA CHAIR, Gio Ponti Contents Introduction 3 The Chair 4 The Hill House Chair 7 Le Corbusier LC4 10 Superleggera Chair 13 Conclusion 14 Bibliography 16 THE CHAIR AS AN ICON OF DESIGN IN HISTORY Introduction History has taught us that art and design exist to show us reference points, relating to the cultural context of the era. In each era there are different factors that affect us and our work. In combination with our personal point of view it creates context for work that reflects personality and the climate era in a framework of the influences of a variety of factors. Designers lay a kind of bet by trying to create something that reveals their notions and ideology that also relates to the trends of the era. The past is teaching us not to be repetitive but to move further, to innovate and to develop new reference points that in addition to those that exist, will eventually constitute new high points in history. There have been many building and objects in the history of design and architecture that were capable of showing the trends of an era or tremendous social changes, depending on the context of the pieces of work. Some of the prime examples of art in the context of its time period are Wrights Falling water that still remains a symbol of his organic architecture or Michael Graves’ famous Kettle during Modernism. In this essay we will discuss the chair, not only as a common piece of furniture but as a symbol and an object that often combines aesthetic design and utility in function. The chair is an object that helps us understand the contextual importance of design. The three chairs that will be focused on are The Hill House Chair, Le Corbusier’s LC4 chaise lounge, and the Superleggera chair. After making a short historical reference we will examine a series of examples of chairs that demonstrate the significance of the chair in design and how it may or may not affect our work. A chair is an object that has changed throughout the years and within its design hides a series of ideologies that express aspects of the period in which it was made. Through these three chairs, the connection between history and design will be examined. Sussex chair 1898-1900 Hill house chair 1904-1908 LeCorbusiers chair 1928 Superleggera chair 1951-57 The S chair 1960 Omstak chair 1970 In this table we can see examples of the changes in shapes, colours, materials and aesthetics of the chair during the years, starting from 1900 to 1970. The Chair Chairs have evolved, for thousands of years as they shifted from being a symbol of status to an item of ordinary use. Though it involves function, the chair can also be seen as an art work that expresses cultural ideologies that represent a reflection of the contemporary aesthetic of the time in which it was created (Peters and Besley 2006). As an example, Egyptians had the tendency to apply to their artwork the philosophy that was primarily founded in the idea that natural forms should be applied in order not to disturb the balance of the universe by creating an artificial object. So Egyptians applied this philosophy to the construction of a chair (Chisholm 1911). EGYPTIAN CHAIR Eventually in each era a series of factors were shifting the chair as an everyday object that finally would combine function and ergonomics. No other artefact could manage to maintain its disciplines (regarding function and cause) and holds the capacity to reflect as high an element of beauty. Chairs can be manufactured or handcrafted in different sizes, materials, colours, shapes, and aesthetics, but still maintain the function of providing a space for seating. Taking into account historical references, chairs reflected a kind of social and economical superiority. The chair also was constituted as a symbol of dignity, power and authority. Historians though connect the chair also to religion, as a symbol of ecclesiastical origin. Until the 16 century, the chair was primarily found in royal and ecclesiastical spaces until it was established and became more evident in common spaces. The Byzantine era (395 -1453), and therefore also the Greek and Roman era, have been important for the form of the chair as the lions’ heads and winged figures of Victory or Nike and dolphin-shaped arms were used. These periods also show the emergence of lyre-backs which have been made familiar by the pseudo-classical revival of the end of the 18th century. The head of the lion was a symbol of power and was used for ornamentation (Chisholm 1911). The materials during that period could be marble, stone, iron or wood. During the Medieval and Renaissance periods, chairs were found in wealthy homes, temples and of course in the home of royalty, showing the economical superiority and presence of power within the presence of such possessions. The chairs of that era were mostly made of wood, and were handcrafted with delicate carvings which were not affordable to everyone, as the artists were doing everything by hand. At that time there was not a big variety of materials and techniques. During the 17th century new materials started to be used, such as leather, silk and other textiles as well as the beginnings of the use of oak. The greatest changes in design, however, came in the 18th and 19th century as the industrial revolution took place (Chisholm 2011). RENAISANCE CHAIR LOUIS XV CHAIR COLONIAL CHAIR The Hill House Chair The first example is the Hill house chair that was designed by the British designer and architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh, whose work had influences on a global level. The Hill House Chair was designed to be placed into the homonym house sometime between the years 1902 and 1904 for the publisher Blackie, a site that is now a place of national interest (Craven 2011). (Design House 2011) At first glance it is clear that this chair was not designed for function but mostly for aesthetic purposes (Reid 2011). It was designed to be placed in a white room with the purpose to incorporate with the rest of the organic forms that were applied in the rest of the room. At this point we must refer to what is called total work of art – it is a term that describes a work of art that makes use of many art forms or at least strives to do so. An architect or designer is responsible for the design and/or overseeing of the buildings totality: shell, accessories, furnishings, and landscape (Wikipedia 2011). Mackintosh employed this all inclusive ideology of design successfully, as we can see he managed to achieve not only harmony and balance by combining geometric, organic, and natural forms, but a also a unique aesthetic for which the hill house chair is an example. The subsequent remark we make by looking at this chair is that as a construction it is rigid, the forms that are used are geometric and natural, but there are no signs of ergonomic functions - as a piece of furniture it looks completely uncomfortable - the back is raised too high (art nouveau) and there are no arms, while the seat is too low. Apparently it was designed this way to harmonize with the organic forms to the rest of the room, but not the organic form of the human body. We could say this artwork is also related to the Asian culture due to its extreme simplicity and reductive form. Mackintosh was deeply influenced by Japanese aesthetics (art nouveau) which justifies the extreme simplicity of the Hill House chair (The Design Museum 2011). The colour was chosen to oppose the rest of the room and probably to create contrast and a kind of antithesis that brings balance. Plain white would make the room looking dull and repetitive, so it was a black-stained ash frame (Reid 2011). Regarding its form, we could say that the chair lies somewhere between modernism and art nouveau .We could conclude from this design that the ladder back style and the natural forms were used promptly during the Art nouveau while the tall and slander frame was a characteristic of modernism. The historical influences involved also included the art and crafts movement, even though the chair was intended to be a departure from the movement (Hill House Chair/Charles Rennie Mackintosh 2011). The geometric forms and the extreme simplicity along with the tendency of Mackintosh to the rejection of the past and the lack of ornamentation proves that the piece refers more to modernism even though Mackintosh was a leading figure of art nouveau, whereas both movements were characterized by the rejection of the past and the innovation of materials, the embrace of technology and of mass production (Direct Classics 2011). What differs more in art nouveau is the natural forms and the floral patterns. Those movements were influenced by different factors among which social, economical and cultural aspects were included, and let’s not forget that art nouveau is a movement that was developed in France but then had global impact. In the context of the era we should include the innovative scientific and philosophical achievements such as Darwins theory about the Origin of Species, Karl Marxs Manifesto and Albert Einsteins Theory of Relativity. In the same period there was a general interest around art and science which was involving the creation of movements on art such as impressionism or expressionism. It was also the beginning of Industrial Urbanism which was a philosophy that was flowing from the needs of society (Law 2007). Le Corbusier LC4 Our second example is the Le Corbusier design for the chaise lounge LC4 chair. It was designed by Le Corbusier in cooperation with Pierre Jeanerette and Charlotte Perriand in 1928 for the French Villas he designed, Villa Savoye and Villa d’Avray (Design Museum 2006). Le Corbusier was also a supporter of the total work of art theory on design as he was designing every aspect of his projects; interior, exterior, and furnishings. The specific piece of furniture was visible not only for aesthetic but for function as it applied the disciplines of ergonomics, and functionalism which emerged at the forefront. Le Corbusier was using the Golden Ratio in his work and that lead him to create the Modular, a continuation of DaVincis Vitruvius man. Proportion was an important matter that was affecting his work (Moos and Heer 2009). In his book LArt Décoratif daujourdhui Le Corbusier defines three different furniture types: type-needs, type-furniture, and human-limb objects. Specifically he analyses human-limb objects with the following words: “"Extensions of our limbs and adapted to human functions that are type-needs and type-functions, therefore type-objects and type-furniture. The human-limb object is a docile servant. A good servant is discreet and self-effacing in order to leave his master free. Certainly, works of art are tools, beautiful tools. And long live the good taste manifested by choice, subtlety, proportion, and harmony" (Wikipedia 20 December 2011). The chaise lounge LC4 visually gives the impression that it was designed as a chair for relaxation and leisure – the incline places the body in a position that suggests relaxation and a feeling of calm. Let us take in account that we see often those chairs in a psychologist’s clinic. The form is simple. Geometry is applied which also characterizes Modernism while the curves attest influences from the models of 18th century (Henket and Heynen 2002). The context of this period was deeply characterized by industrialization. Mass production and innovations of technology like automobiles and airplanes, and achievements such as the internal combustion engine were a part of the cultural developments in art, such as cubism and Fauvism. These aesthetics can be related to Le Corbusier for their influences on the way in which he formed his designs, and how he related their function to that form. The use of steel was a characteristic of modern design as it was a material that allowed mass production, which was a characteristic aspect in modernism, its solid and durable, and aesthetically it provides a sight that it renders it intact during time. In combination with the use of leather it constitutes this piece of furniture aesthetically unique. Another fact that allows us to classify it as Modern is the common belief of the movement about the total lack of ornamentation and the total rejection of the past (Fehrman and Fehrman 2009). The design approach seems to be rational, as Le Corbusier was a supporter of the ideal of the creation, of reasonable function-able (and build -able) responses to design problems (Curl 2000). However Le Corbusier’s vision was to enclose the Modernists ideal regarding the reforming of society by creating a so called utopia under the shadow of war and the influences of an imbalanced economy and society. Industrial urbanism started reaching its peak during that period. Industrialism does not simply increase numbers; it distributes them in particular ways, concentrating mass populations in cities. Modern life is unquestionably urban life. The Ville Radieuse and the plan of Voisin were the solutions that Le Corbusier proposed for a functional urban society (Kumar 2011). La ville Radieuse Plan of Voisin Superleggera Chair The last example is the Superleggera chair which was designed by Gio Ponti in 1957. The name of the chair proves its status as the word Superleggera is translated as super light. This chair was made of ash wood and was inspired by the Chaviari chair which were traditional rustic Italian chairs made by artisans in the fishing villages around Chiavari in Liguria of Italy, so it forms it as a product of National identity (Raizman 2003). Its design apart from the light construction is elegant and functional, although in general, in comparison to the Chaviari chair Gio Ponti maintained the simple lines and proportions he created as a finer, more elegant product, using triangular-shaped legs and struts rather than the usual round ones. This design approach relates to Gio Pontis rational context of work as he related to the movement of Rationalism (Kumar 2011). Chaviari chair Superleggera chair The chair could be integrated to the Modernist movement due to its design approach where the lines are simple, but the design decision of Ponti for the search and use of new materials could also place it to the early post- modern movement. Ponti tried to reject the past boundaries and use shapes and forms in unexpected way, the triangular shaped legs a proof of his approach. What is most remarkable about this chair is that Ponti combined traditional elements with a new idea to create an innovative composition, and for this reason we could say it is post-modern furniture (Harai 2006). The decade of 1950, was a period that Italy was striving to return dynamically from the consequences of the Second World War and recover her reputation as a world trendsetter. We must recall that Italians reached design to the heights of class and sophistication even if first they were imitating the French style. By the end of the war and the rise of Socialism and with the Italian economic miracle, Italy started growing and producing mass-made furniture for which the construction of the Superleggera was also set for mass production which is proven by the used materials. Yet, in the 1960s and 1970s Italian design reached its peak of stylishness, and by that point, with Pop and post-modern interiors, the phrases "Bel Designo" and "Linea Italiana" entered the vocabulary of furniture design. The design of Italians had an impact globally and until today it manages to keep this identity (About Italian Design 2006). Conclusion In total all the above examples were chosen due to their nature. The first chair, the Hill House Chair appears to be an art work more than a functional object. It deals with basic rules of interior design integration and balance and it should affect our work as we will be called not only to create spaces but also furniture that needs to integrate into overall design. In approaching design, form and function must be considered and, an anti-rational approach would involve taking unorthodox design decisions into consideration, but this has to do with the designer’s character and ideals. Also the aesthetic that was achieved referring to our first example is a product of many influences that finally created a unique aesthetic that should influence us to dare to make different design decisions based on a series of concepts that come from modern concepts. The second example, Le Corbusier’s LC4 lounge reveals the influences that have to do with function, aestheticsm and proportions. It was chosen because it is not a common chair but was designed with the idea of covering our need based on our scale. Whereas the third example was used not only for the aesthetics but for influences used to research new materials and try to create new ideas throughout the design procedure. From aesthetics, the influences to our work deal mostly with forms and it is important to be able to apply a form with not only the intent represent it but also innovate it. All the examples have simple forms of geometry and a lack of ornamentation, or their ornaments are integrated with the form of geometry or with the materials that have been used. Finally judging by the above examples we could state that the chair is an icon of the understanding of design as it is an object that has been re produced for many causes and many uses but not always with success – and can be characterized promptly from social, economical, political and cultural factors since it contributed through its design to the expression of a whole philosophy. Such a small object managed to fit the ideology and the culture of a variety of social structures and populations, and it reveals the aesthetics across the span of time. Bibliography About Italian Design 2006. Brief history of Italian industrial design. About Italian Design. [Online] Available at http://www.aboutitaliandesign.info/history-of-italian-industrial- design.html Chisholm, Hugh 1911. History of the chair. Wikipedia. [Online] Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_chair Craven, Jackie. 2011. The Hill House Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. About.com [Online] Available at http://architecture.about.com/od/findproductsservices/ ss/chairs3.htm Curl, James Stevens. 2000. Rational architecture. Encyclopedia.com. [Online] Available at http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O1-Rationalarchitecture.html Design Museum 2006 A century of chairs. Design museum. [Online] Available at http://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/online/a-century-of-chairs/1920s Design Museum. 2011. Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Design Museum. [Online] Available at http://designmuseum.org/design/charles-rennie-mackintosh Direct Classics. 2011. Charles Rennie Mackintosh. [Online] Available at http://www.directclassics.de/designer/Charles_Rennie_Mackintosh/charles_rennie_ mackintosh_bauhaus_furniture.html Fehrman, C., & Fehrman, K. (2009). Interior design innovators 1910-1960. San Francisco, Calif: Fehrman Books. Harai, Naoko. 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History of modern design: Graphics and products since the industrial revolution. London: Laurence King. Reid, Robert. (4 February 2011). Wish list: The Hill House Chair. [Online] Available at http://www.thenational.ae/lifestyle/house-home/wish-list-the-hill-house-chair Wikipedia. 2011. Gesamtkunstwerk. Wikipedia. [Online] Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesamtkunstwerk Wikipedia. 20 December 2011. Le Corbusier. Wikipedia. [Online] Available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Corbusier#Furniture Read More