Modern and Contemporary Design
Furniture, lighting and objects from the rise of modernism in the early 1900s to the present day, across craft, industry and experiment.
No works indexed yet · 10 related artists
No open-access works for Modern and Contemporary Design are in the index yet. They will appear here as more collections are indexed.
About
The field runs from the design reformers of the early 20th century to studios at work now, and its long arc turns on a few recurring questions: how much the machine should shape an object, how much the hand should show, and whether a thing should simply work or also say something. Early modernists answered with standard parts and plain surfaces. Mid-century designers such as Gio Ponti, Vico Magistretti and Edward Wormley added warmth and refinement, while Eero Aarnio shaped plastic into bold, enclosing forms.
Later decades pulled in other directions. Wendell Castle and fellow studio makers treated furniture as sculpture, and Philippe Starck gave mass-produced goods a strong personality, as in his transparent polycarbonate Louis Ghost chair (2002). A good example of any period is clear in its idea and well made, and materials, labels and construction help tell an original piece from a later reissue.
Related artists
More in Design Movements
Modern and Contemporary Fashion Design
Modern Design
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Scandinavian Furniture and Design
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20th Century Furniture and Design
American Furniture and Design
American Mid-Century Design
American Studio Craft Movement
Art Deco Furniture and Design
Art Nouveau Furniture and Design
Arts and Crafts Movement
Brazilian Furniture and Design
British Furniture and Design
