Home of the Future, 1925–1985: Designing Domestic Utopias / LACMA
Home of the Future, 1925–1985: Designing Domestic Utopias at LACMA
The exhibition explores the technological optimism of futuristic living while questioning who was excluded from this high-tech future and whether this domestic utopia was ever realized. Spoiler alert, it hasn't been.
The exhibition was curated by Wendy Kaplan, Bobbye Tigerman and Staci Steinberger.
Having an ephemera display on the title wall is a good sign.
The exhibition starts off with machine age designs, like the Beta chair and model by Nathan George Horwitt and Morris Katcher (1929). Nothing says industrial progress like hygienic tubular chrome.
Gilbert Rohde lamp/table (1933), Walter von Nessen lamp (1927). These were used at Kingswood at Cranbrook Academy. I can't believe I didn't do a full blog post on that. Lurelle Van Arsdale Guild Electrolux vacuum (1937). Lester Beall Wash Day. Rural Electrification Administration (1937).
Sun-Kraft Jr. portable ultraviolet ray lamp by Frank Furedy (1947)
Radio Nurse by Isamu Noguchi for Zenith (1937)
The Zenith Radio Nurse & Guardian Ear was developed in response to the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's infant son. The advertising literature stated the “…Radio Nurse enables you to leave the nursery, yet guard your baby…. Be modern! Keep an “ear” on your children!”
It's a thing of beauty, sort of a Japanese kendo mask with a nod to Brancusi. It was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s annual sculpture exhibition in 1939. Today's baby monitors are much more likely to pose a cybersecurity issue or be part of a massive data breach than end up in an art museum.
R.M. Schindler Radio end table from Shep House Commission (1936). Although the furniture was built, the house wasn't.
Dymaxion Dwelling Machine by Buckminster Fuller (1946). The idea was for the home to be mass produced but only two were ever made. The one surviving full-scale example is on display at the Henry Ford Museum. Although prefab housing options are available today, they certainly haven't solved housing shortages and definitely not affordability. Zoning and market issues are mostly to blame, but looking like shipping containers can't be helping.
Henry Dreyfuss for Honeywell T-86 thermostat (1953)
Nest has some explaining to do. In 2011, Alexandra Lange wrote about it in 2011. See that here.
Dieter Rams for Braun Transistor radio, model T3 (1958) and TP1 (1959).
I think we all know that the T3 was the inspiration for the first iPod design (along with many other Rams designs Ives used for Apple products). Click here if you need a refresher.
Onto the chairs. Gilbert Rohde (1938). Henry H. Turchin, Theodore M. Turchin, with the original design attributed to Lewis G. Diera for Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company (1939/1947)
Richard Neutra chair from Channel Heights Housing Project, San Pedro (1941)
R.M. Schindler, Dining chair from Skolnik House (1950)
Eames chair, produced by Evans (1944)
Shall we call this a DCW-W(wings)?
Of course I took a picture from underneath, but LACMA has a better one.
Eames ESU 400 and model of the Eames House.
Gregory Ain model for Exhibition House in the garden at MoMA (1950)
Speaking of MoMA, all of three of these lamps were exhibited there. The Olga Lee for Ralph O. Smith (1952) and Greta von Nessen for Nessen Studio (1951) were selected for Good Design exhibitions. Zahara Schatz for Heifetz (1950) was part pf the MoMA lamp competition and shown at the New Lamps exhibition.
John Lautner designed lamp (1940s) from the Sturges House (threatened with demolition) by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Henry P Glass, Swing Line cabinet (1951)
Arthur A. Carrara, Magnet Master (1948)
The post-war military industrial complex brought us technology, optimism and more plastic.
Plus, the promise of flying cars, which unfortunately are in the headlines again.
Zahara Schatz screen (1950)
Onto the space age futuristic portion of the exhibition. Olivier Mourgue, Airborne International Djinn chair (1963), Bill Curry Columnlite (1962), and Western Electric Picturephone, model I (1964) which was exhibited at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
The 1970s brought on a desire to escape from the space age. Environment for Contemplation by Wendell Castle (1970). Contemplation Environments was a 1970 exhibition of sixteen meditation chambers at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York.
Then the computers move in. Heathkit Robot (1984)
Now these little buggers are running around the streets delivering food. Unfortunately, that's about it so far.
The Kitchen and Its Discontents is a standalone exhibition.
Charlotte Perriand and Le Corbusier’s kitchen for L’Unité d’Habitation in Marseille, France (1948-1950)
Perriand's open modular kitchen design allowed the woman of the house to be with the family while cooking rather than being isolated.
Earl S. Tupper for Tupperware (1947/1954), Arne Jacobsen for A. Michelsen, AJ Cutlery (1957) gift of Dung Ngo (of course), Russel Wright, Flair line Melamine (1959) and a Swanson TV Dinner tray (1954).
Honeywell H316 Kitchen Computer (1969) This was a meal planning computer. It required a two week training course and cost $85k in present day value. It's a big surprise that none were ever sold for home use.
All the technology promised by 20th-century futurists is here. The automated appliances were supposed to liberate us; however, the contrast between the utopian dream and everyday reality is more stark today than it ever has been. Instead of liberating us, it has led to technological overload and surveillance capitalism. Plus, it's all so unattractive. Call me a Luddite but I just want the old future back.
I just posted some highlights (for me) here. There are close to 200 items in the exhibition. It's in the Resnick Pavilion by Renzo Piano and not the new building, which i think is fitting. You have until until March 14, 2027 to see it.