Penny Sparke

THEORY AND DESIGN IN THE AGE OF POP by Penny Sparke Thesis for Ph.D. Faculty of Art and Design Brighton Polytechnic October 1975 \ Acknowledgements I should like to thank the following for help given during the writing of this thesis : Gillian Naylor, Charles Jencks, P. Reyner Banham,, Kenneth Grange, John Blake, Michael English, Christopher Logue, Brian Rice , Paul Clark and Ken Baynes. J Theory and Design in the Age of Pop Summary The aim of this thesis is to discover the principle determining factors behind British Design in the 1960's in order to describe and analyse the background and effects of the crisis in Design theory that occurred at this time. This crisis, which meant a questioning of the tenets of Functionalism - the name with which the architectural and design theorists of the 1920's had identified themselves - constitutes, in both theoretical and practical terms, a major development in Twentieth Century Design History and by implication for any Design historical study. The period thus serves as a model for an examination of some major factors pertinent to many Design historiographical problems. The philosophical and stylistic implications of Functionalism, its discrepancies and variations, are noted briefly. A description of their continuation into the 1950's and 1960's is given in which the gap between abstract ideas and stylistic considerations is seen to widen. The critical reaction to Functionalism, manifested in several spheres, is noted and analysed. This reaction stems from an involvement with popular culture as a serious matter for academic discussion and a desire to restructure the value system within which judgements about buildings, objects and other social phenomena are made. This is followed by a survey of the more general sociological changes that occur in the period and the way in which design is modified accordingly, basing itself upon an alternative set of criteria to that of the Design Establishment, and aligning itself with many of the categories established by the above-mentioned critics. - THEORY AND DESIGN IN THE AGE OF POP Summary List of Illustrations p. Section 1 Chapter 1 Introduction p. 3 Chapter 2 The Functionalist Heritage p. 9 Section 2 British Functionalism in the 1950's and l960's Chapter 3 Introduction p. 15 Chapter 4 Functionalism as Design - The Functionalist Style p. 20 Chapter 5 Functionalism as Theory - Design Methodologies p. 49 Section 3 The Crisis of Functionalism Chapter 6 Towards a Critique of Functionalism p. 55 Chapter 7 The Pop Critics p. 57 1) Introduction p. 57 2) Theory and Design in the First Machine Age p. 63 3) The Architecture of the Well-Tempered Environment p. 68 4) The Independent Group p. 72 Chapter 8 The Linguistic Model p. 75 Section 4 Anti-Functionalist Design Chapter 9 The Independent Group and Design p. 81 Chapter IO Towards a Pop Design - Definitions p. 98 Chapter 11 Pop and the Design Profession p. 105 1) Pop Architecture p. 105 2) Pop Furniture and Interior Design p. 118 3) Pop Fashion p. 126 Chapter 12 The Language of Pop p. 137 1) Introduction p. 137 2) Style p. 139 3) Form/ Content Dislocation p. 142 4) Metaphorical and Symbolic Themes · p. 152 i) The Space-Age p. 153 ii) Fun p. 158 Section 5 Chapter 13 Conclusion p. 188 References p. 191 Bibliography p.201 List of Illustrations Illus. 1 The Bauhaus Building at Dessau p. 13 Illus. 2 Bauhaus Products p. 14 Illus. 3 R.C.A. Hospital Bed project, 1965 p. 32 Illus. 4 Illustrations from H. Read Art & Industry p. 33 Illus. 5 Aga. Illustration to article by Beresford-Evans, Design 1956 p. 34 Illus. 6 Janitor Boiler. Illustration to article by Beresford-Evans, Design 1956 p. 35 Illus. 7 Braun. Kitchen Mincer 1960, Radiophonograph 1957, Toaster 1961 Space Heater 1959 p. 36 Illus. 8 T. Maldonado. Electro - medical instruments p. 37 Illus. 9 E. Race. Antelope Chair, 1951 p. 38 Illus. 10 R. Day. Polypropylene chair, 1963 p. 39 Illus. 11 Design Council, Selection of Objects, 1954. Conran cane chair, Troughton & Young Light, Bratt Colbran Fire, Stourbridge glass p. 40 Illus. 12 Desk. Ian Henderson, Design 1960 p. 41 lllus. 13 Braun. Kitchen Machine, 1957 p. 42 Illus. 14 K. Grange. Kenwood Chef, 1959 p. 43 Illus. 15 Ryan. Kettle, Misha Black - Saucepan p. 44 Illus. 16 K. Grange. Kodack 'Brownie' Camera, 1960 p. 45 Illus. 17 N. Roericht. Stacking China for Rosenthal, 1961 p, 46 lllus. 18 R. D. Russell & Partners. Stacking China - Design 1963 p: 47 Illus. 19 R. Welch. Stacking China, Design 1967 p. 48 Illus. 20 Illustration from J. McHale, The Expendable Icon in Architectural Design , February 1959 p. 89 Illus. 21 Illustration from L. Alloway , the Arts and the Mass Media, in Architectural Design, February 1958. Fashion Model in Charm, Love Diary, Hermione Gingold as Mona Lisa and Still from The Forbidden Planet p. 90 Illus. 22 See 20 p. 91 Illus. 23 R. Hamilton. Homage a Chrysler Corps. Architectural Design, March 1958 p. 92 Illus. 24 Illustration from R. Hamilton, Persuading Image, Design 1960 p. 93 Illus. 25 Illustration from R. Hamilton, Persuading Image, Design 1960 p. 94 Illus. 26 R. Hamilton. Still-Life (Braun) 1965 p. 95 Illus. 27 Entrance to stand by Hamilton, McHale & Voelcker in This is Tomorrow, 1956 p. 96 Illus. 28 An Exhibit, 1957 .p. 97 Illus. 29 Illustration from Archigram periodical p. 116 Illus. 30 R. Banham. Anatomy of a Dwelling, 1965 p. 117 Illus. 31 Schofield & Wright. Furniture for Anderson Manson, 1965 p. 124 1 ' Illus. 32 Inflatable Chair by Zanotta de Lissone 1968 p. 125 Illus. 33 Cover of Sunday Times Colour Supplement, March 1965, Courreges p. 132 Illus. 34 Mary Quant. The Bank of England p. 133 Illus. 35 Mary Quant. Dungarees p. 134 Illus. 36 Swinging Londori, 1965 p. 135 Illus. 37 Vidal Sassoon and Cilla Black, 1964 p. 136 Illus. 38 Jasper Johns. Broken Target, 1958 p. 162 Illus. 39 Peter Blake. The First Real Target? 1961 p. 163 Illus. 40 Brian Rice. Red Assembly, 1962 p. 164 Illus. 41 Op dress by Veronica Marsh, Foale & Tuffin & Simon Massey p. 165 Illus. 42 Jonathon Groves. Chaise Ronde for Anderson Manson 1966 p. 166 Illus. 43 Jasper Johns. Flag on Orange Field, 1957 p. 167 Illus. 44 The Who. Cover of Observer Colour Supplement, 1966 p. 168 Illus. 45 Binder, Vaughan & Edwards. Union Jack Chest. 1965 p. 169 Illus. 46 Changing Room in Palisades Boutique p. 170 Illus. 47 Derek Boshier. Empire 1964 and Foldover 1964 p. 171 Illus. 48 Op dresses designed by Morton, Myles for Young Elegante p. 172 Illus. 49 John Bannenburg. 'Op' Kitchen for Mary Quant, 1965 p. 173 Illus. 50 Op dress by Top Gear in Queen 1965 p. 174 Illus. 51 Op dresses by Maxine Leighton and Simon Massey, Queen 1966 p:175 Illus. 52 Facade painting on Granny Takes a Trip Boutique p. 176 Illus. 53 Nigel Waymouth & Michael English and other poster designs p. 177 Illus. 54 Michael Sharp. Dylan Poster, 1967 p. 178 Illus. 55 Crews for U.S. Gemini programme 1965 p. 179 Illus. 56 Michele Rosier. Silver Anorak in Queen 1966 p. 180 Illus. 57 Emmannuelle Khanh. Silver Bombs, 1965 p. 181 Illus. 58 Alhed Iron Founders Design Unit. Capsule Kitchen 1968 p. 182 Illus. 59 A & P. Smithson. The House of the Future. 1956 p. 183 Illus. 60 Illustration from Archigram 4, 1964 p. 184 Illus. 61 Illustration from Archigram 4, 1964 p. 185 Illus. 62 Mary Quant, Playsuit, p. 186 Illus. 63 Cedric Price. Auditorium. American Museum in Britain, Claverton, Bath p. 187 2 SECTION 1. CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION This thesis focuses upon a search for an approach to Design History. In order to achieve this in a practical manner an historical period has been selected to serve as a model which will bring to the surface most of the major problems encountered in any Design historical study. Among the most predominant of these are questions like; I. What is the definition of design and to what material must one turn in order to make an historical survey of design in a given period? 2. To which tangential disciplines must one ally one's study in order to create a structure for what is ultimately an inter-disciplinary study? 3. What is the nature and function of Design History? Has it merely professional or more general implications as a subject? These questions are inevitably interdependent. To begin to answer the first and most crucial question, 'What is design'? one _must first recognise the verbal and substantive ambiguity inherent in the word which points in two divergent directions. On the one hand it implies the designer end if the design situation with associations with the creative act, industrial production, and technology generally, all of which contain their own psychological, social, cultural and technical implications, (these can all be put into an historical context); on the other the more anonymous artefact, concept, or system end of the design scale. This latter complex presents the analyst/historian with a direct relationship betwt!en design and society as a whole, whereas the former definition necessitates the mediation of the structure of industry in every consideration of it. The latter therefore implies more direct social meaning:"This links up with the last question in that a historical study of artefacts has more general social and cultural meaning than a study of the history of production processes which is of more professional interest for the designer. If design history is to be meaningful it must stress social and cultural implications at every opportunity and thus become a branch of cultural history or the history of ideas in such a way as to extend the relevance of such studies outside the design profession and the narrow bounds of formalist art history.

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