The Wild Eighties Designers

Post-Modern designers shared a global visual language in their designs which embraced cultural pluralism. Their aim was to transcend national boundaries by which they mocked good taste. Here are some examples which will help to see these mocking works of art:

Frankfurt cabinet F1 Writing Bureau, 1985 – 1986 by Norbert Berghof, Michael Landes and Wolfgang Rang. It is like they are mimicking the fact that some cathedrals used to have asymmetric towers due to the fact that they used to be built in different eras. Such a thing is seen in this Chartres cathedral where on the north is a Flamboyant Gothic style while on the south is a Romanesque style. In this cabinet they are making use of past styles to create something new.

Post-Modern designers drew from eclectic sources such as Classicism, Art Deco, Constructivism, De Stijl, Surrealism, Kitch and computer imagery.

Seconda Chair from the Matt Black Series of 1982 by Mario Botta.

It has graphic hard edges designs with a geometric structure. At this stage such designs started to be made in a limited number and displayed in museums just like a painting.

Together with the Quinto Chair, also by Mario Botta, that can be considered as examples of the short lived matt black style of the designer. Botta’s style can be described as Neo High Tech which is a more sophisticated and rational approach to post modern design.

Mario Botta was of the idea that “geometry is balance” thus the excessive use of geometric forms in his designs.

Mario Botta design “Shogun Floor Light” for Artemide Italy 1986.

I find that this lamp in particular looks like a cross between a futuristic visor and a photo studio lighting stand.

Spock from the 70’s Star Treck series.

photo studio lighting stand

As you always have it, today’s fashion designers such as the eccentric designer Alexander McQueen, look back at past fashions and brought back the Futuristic visor into his collection. This visor was part of the Alexander McQueen Autumn Winter 2012 catwalk collection.

 Andrea Branzi also formed part of the Radical design group Archizone. In his “Annimali Domestici” for Zanotta, 1985, Branzi  was of the idea that a new relationship should be built between a man and his environment thus he regarded furniture as if they were household pets.

He was taking design to a whole new level! It was fine to consider designs in the same level as art works and to be appreciated in museums. But to have them as pets was something really over the top.

Such chairs are completely without a function which can only be looked at without being used since they would be so uncomfortable.

These A 56 Vases are also by Andrea Branzi for the “Amnesie e Altri Luoghi” series, 1991. These seem to be more functional and have a sense of dynamicity about them. It is like they are spinning on themselves due to the fact that they have those pieces of metal sheet protruding from them, giving them a hazy outline which to the eye looks as if they are spinning.

This made me think of another design which follows the same concept, by Tim Noble and Sue Webster in their Untitled (Spinning Heads), 2005.

Michele de Lucchi was also a member of Radical design, who had met Sottsass which later became involved with the Memphis Group. De Lucchi designed post-modern appliances for Studio Alchimia such as the “Sinerpica” Lamp, 1979.

Later on Michele de Lucchi returned to good design during the 80’s such as the “Tolomeo Lamp”. 

Archi Expo. 2013. Contemporary wooden secretary desk. [online] Available at: http://www.archiexpo.com/prod/draenert/contemporary-wooden-secretary-desks-49455-128065.html  [Accessed on 11^th December 2013]

Feily P. 2013. Chartres Cathedral Towers Discover Chartres City Landscape from The High. [online] Available at: http://www.discover-chartres.com/chartres-cathedral-towers.html [Accessed on 11^th December 2013]

Francesca Martire. 2012. Shogun Floor Light By Mario Botta. [online] Available at: http://www.francescamartire.com/product-details.php?id=159 [Accessed on 11^th December 2013]

Melanie Rickey. Jul 2012. Fashion Editor at Large: Alexander McQueen sees the future. [online] Available at: http://fashioneditoratlarge.blogspot.com/2012/07/alexander-mcqueen-sees-future.html  [Accessed on 11^th December 2013]

ShoeRA. Jul 2012. FEATURE IS HERE: THE VISOR BY ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AW12 [online] Available at: http://www.shoera.com/2012/07/13/feature-is-here-the-visor-by-alexander-mcqueen-aw12/ [Accessed on 11^th December 2013]