Jonathan Goldstein of
Planner, Perimeter, Predictor, Paul McCobb (an expert on the design of McCobb, by the way) left a comment on the post about
plinths and asked, to some extent playing the devil's advocate but nonetheless legitimately, "What is the definition of 'mid-century'?" I typed a quick (and somewhat half-baked) response, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that the topic didn't need to be buried in the Comments section of an old post. I want to know what mid-century means to the rest of you. Here is the bulk of my response to Jonathan, along with some later thoughts/clarifications.
Great question, Jonathan. If you and I could answer that one today, we'd be famous, since so many before us have tried and failed to agree.
When I first became interested years ago, I thought mid-century meant 1950s and googie...hard to believe I was ever that green...but I daresay many of those "50 people on the street" (referencing the original post about plinths)
might have just as narrow a view of the style as I did.
Today I tend to think of mid-century more in terms of a rejection of the superfluous ornamentation of "period" furniture in favor of clean lines, functionality and affordability...and a belief that less could definitely be more*. But then that would leave out Paul Evans, whom I consider a mid-century designer because of his work with Phillip Lloyd Powell, which is why I often include photos of his [highly ornamented]
work done in the 70s. If I had to be pinned down on a time frame, I'd say 1930s through the mid-60s, but, on the front end, that leaves out [iconic]
pieces like the Wassily and Basculant chairs [which were designed in the 1920s].
But, but, but. See I can't even agree with myself on a definition, and I'm starting to sound a lot like [Supreme Court]
Justice Potter "I Know It When I See It" Stewart [in his famous opinion about pornography]
. It's true though...mid-century to me is more about a feeling/mindset than a set of parameters, as obvious and lame a cop-out as that is. :)
I've effectively managed to erase the phrase "mid-century" from my vocabulary and substitute "modernist" or "vintage modern." That derives from the fact that I simply don't have the heart to leave out some of the work of designers like Alvar Aalto, Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier and Russel Wright. I guess that's not unheard of, since Cara Greenberg, who is given credit for coining the phrase "mid-century modern" in her book
Mid-Century Modern: Furniture of the 1950s, included photos of designs from the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
My ending date for "mid-century" comes from memories of when styles in both clothing and furniture shifted to the "mod" designs of the late-60s/early 70s, roughly from the time I graduated high school in 1966 till I finished college in 1970, a time that marked a huge social shift as well...and my own purchase in the early 70s of some of the Mediterranean-style furniture Jonathan mentioned. There are many pieces of furniture from the early 1960s (some Risom, Platner and Wegner pieces, for example) that I simply can't imagine putting into any category other than mid-century.
So now I'd like to hear how you define mid-century. It doesn't have to be long or involved (and my response proves it doesn't have to be brilliant or definitive either). Jonathan and I don't have definitions that are perfectly aligned, and you're free to disagree with both of us. We're not thin-skinned. :) Just shoot from the hip and tell me what it means to you. While you're thinking, I'll show you some of the photos I'd show a to a mid-century novice if I could do a "pictorial definition."
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The Lake Shore Drive Apartments by Mies van der Rohe, 1948-1951
photographed by Michael Wolf, from The Transparent City
amazon.com |
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Le Corbusier's Basculant chair, 1928
1stdibs.com |
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Barcelona chair by Mies van der Rohe, 1929
1stdibs.com |
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Paimio chair by Alvar Aalto, 1930
design-museum.de |
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Eames LMC, 1946
loeffler.de.com |
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Hans Wegmer's Papa Bear chair, 1951
1stdibs.com |
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Jens Risom sofa, 1950s
liveauctioneers.com |
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Paul McCobb Planner Group desk, 1950s
treadwaygallery.com |
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Calyx by Lucienne Day, 1951
theguardian.com |
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Warren Platner lounge chair, 1966
knoll.com |
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George Nelson slat bench, 1946
uniquesandantiques.com |
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Arne Jacobsen Ant chair, 1952
treadwaygallery.com |
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Lamps by Gerald Thurston for Lightolier, 1950s
1stdibs.com |
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Finn Juhl Poet sofa, 1941
finnjuhl.com |
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Womb chair by Eero Saarinen, 1946
design-museum.de |
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Eames lounge chair and ottoman, 1956
hermanmiller.com |
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Coffee table by Isamu Noguchi, 1945
1stdibs.com |
*"Less is more," while often attributed to Mies van der Rohe or Walter Gropius, is from the poem "Andrea del Sarto" by Robert Browning. The English teacher in me just had to clear that up. :)
