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Instagram’s Favorite Furniture Style Has an Uncomfortable History

Midcentury modernism, a design style characterized by simple forms, lack of ornament, and new materials, has gained widespread popularity, particularly amplified by shows like 'Mad Men' and accessible through retailers like Ikea. This style, often associated with a bright new day of booming consumer culture in the 1950s, is explored in Kristina Wilson's book, 'Mid-Century Modernism and the American Body: Race, Gender, and the Politics of Power in Design.' Wilson's work provides a historical context for the style, challenging the conventional narrative by highlighting its connections to race, gender, and control. The traditional understanding of midcentury modernism celebrates its break from the past, affordability, and the use of post-war technologies, presenting an image of 'open' spaces, clean floors, and elegant furniture. However, Wilson argues that this scholarly celebration is ideologically limited, overlooking the legally and rigorously segregated landscape of suburbia during that era. She questions the true beneficiaries of this 'new, better world,' suggesting that it wasn't necessarily a liberating experience for all, including white women in suburbia. Wilson's research aims to uncover the ideas that this design was truly deployed to support, particularly by examining how its history is predominantly a 'white story' that emphasizes whiteness and control, rather than universal progress. The article delves into the concept of 'whiteness' in midcentury design, building on the work of Dianne Harris, who argued that suburban houses themselves were coded as white through their clean, open, and crisp aesthetics, contrasting with the perceived crowding and dirtiness of cities. Wilson extends this idea to the objects within these homes, analyzing media representations in magazines like 'Life' and 'Ebony' to see how white and Black individuals interacted with modern design. She observes that while 'Life' often portrayed midcentury modernism as a symbol of control and access, 'Ebony' discussed it as more elite, a tool for a comfortable, confident lifestyle and social gathering, offering bodily comfort. In contrast, 'Life' often showed people not enjoying their modern furniture, highlighting a different narrative. Wilson elaborates on the idea of 'control' within midcentury modernism, citing decorative advice manuals like Mary and Russel Wright's 'Guide to Easier Living,' which emphasized order and regulation in the home, such as the function of a foyer in separating outside dirt from the clean interior. Another example is the Eames leg splint developed during WWII, whose technology later informed their molded plywood chairs. These chairs, much like the splint, proposed an ideal posture, comportment, and even size for the body, suggesting a form of bodily control. The 'Marshmallow Sofa' is also presented as an example, where its design, though visually striking, offered little comfort and placed the sitter 'on display,' further illustrating this theme of control. The discussion extends to decorative elements within midcentury modern homes, particularly non-Western accessories like vases and sculptures. These items, often sourced from Latin America and featured in Herman Miller's publicity, were presented by white tastemakers as signs of global travel and a way to appropriate non-Western craft skills. Wilson notes that these objects were intentionally positioned as a binary opposite to the industrial modernism of the furniture, providing a 'pop of supposed authenticity' in an otherwise smooth and clean room. This dynamic highlights a possession and power relationship, allowing white Westerners to borrow non-Western qualities without being defined by them. Finally, the article connects the contemporary fixation on midcentury modern style to the Colonial Revival trend of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Both movements, though separated by time, shared a similar appeal for simplicity and a sense of 'authentic' American past. While Colonial Revival idealized a 'white America' of Puritans and Paul Revere, midcentury modernism appeals to a more recent, yet still 'white,' American history. Wilson concludes by urging mindfulness that the narrative surrounding midcentury modernism, both historically and in its current revival, predominantly represents a white historical perspective. #MidcenturyModernism #DesignHistory #FurnitureStyle #ArchitecturalControl #RacialBiasInDesign #KristinaWilson #AmericanSuburbia #InteriorDesign #CulturalAppropriation #MidcenturyModernism #DesignHistory #FurnitureStyle #ArchitecturalControl #RacialBiasInDesign #KristinaWilson #AmericanSuburbia #InteriorDesign #CulturalAppropriation

56 months ago

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