Cubism

 Cubism is like standing at a certain point on a mountain and looking round.  If you go higher things will look different, if you go lower again things will look different.  It is a point of view. - Jaques Lipchitz

Cubism forms part of the -ism group of the 20th century.  Many consider it to be one of the most influential, radical and innovative -ism of this time.  The realism of an object or a person is completely abandoned and ignored and images look distorted and unrealistic.

Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque were the main developers of this style.  It was one of the most revolutionary styles and was the most abstract movement which was growing in an environment which was changing at an  uncontrollable speed.  The main aim of cubism was to create a new and innovative way of art and to break away from traditional, western techniques.  Cubists challenged the 'standard rules' like perspective and promoted a new way of looking at images.























This period experienced a radical  amount of technological improvements.  For example, in Photography, Cars, Sound Recordings, The Telephone and the Aeroplane.  Photography began to replace plantings and new technologies like Cars and Aeroplanes created new subjects to paint and write about.  Because of this artists wanted to create a new way of looking at things and so that painting could still be appreciated in the same way that photography was.

When a painting is drawn in perspective it is a frozen image like a snapshot.  Cubists wanted to create a picture that can be seen from different points of view and can have a sense of motion.  Subjectivity is very important when looking at a cubist work.

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles and Ray Eames

Charles Eames lived between 1907 and 1978.  Ray Eames lived between 1912 and 1988.  They were two American designers who contributed a lot to Modern architecture and furniture.  They also had an input in film, graphic design and fine art.

They gave shape to the 20th century of America and their works represented the social and cultural movements that were occurring in America at the time.  Some of these changes included the west coast becoming of age, the economy's shift from making goods to producing information and the American culture becoming a global culture.  They thought of Modern design as a means of embracing social change.

The Eameses experimented a lot with different materials.  One of their most popular success was the moulding of plywood.  They experimented with technologies like fiber glass, plastic resin chairs and wire mesh. (Information taken from Wikipedia)

Their last production was the Eames Sofa which went into production in 1984.

The 'Eames House' is another very popular design of theirs.  It is located in California and is considered to be a Natural Historic Landmark (since 2006).  This house is extremely important as a postwar residential building.
"This house was designed as an attempt toward a living pattern and not as a fixed architectural pattern.  The materials used are steel frame and factory windows with plaster and glass used in panels." - Frank Harris and Weston Bonenberger, ed. A Guide to Contemporary Architecture in Southern California p.34

"In the exhibit, we are trying to show something about a decision that the designer must make when he starts to work for a client. We have found it a very helpful strategy to restrict our own work to subjects that are of genuine and immediate interest to us—and are of equal interest to the client. If we were to work on things or in ways that we knew were not of legitimate concern to both of us, we probably would not be serving our clients, or ourselves, very well. Throughout the work for the various clients, the unifying force is this common interest, plus a preoccupation with structure which comes from looking at all problems as architectural ones... As client and designer get to know each other, they influence each other. As society's needs become more apparent, both client and designer expand their own personal concerns to meet these needs."- Charles Eames. from the catalogue for the exhibition What is Design? p14.

Some of their works include:

Eames House

Wire Mesh Chair

Eames Chair

Eames Sofa

Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier

Le Corbusier lived between 1887 and 1965.  His real name was Charles-Edouard Jeanneret-Gris.  He was a Swiss, French architect, designer, painter and writer who was most active in France.  He was on of the pioneers of the Modernist Movement.  Most of his works are found in Europe, America and India.  He was mostly influential when it came to urban planning and later in his career became a member of the CIAM (Congres International d'Architecture Moderne).

Plan for the Domino House

The Domino House

During the first world war, Le Corbusier taught in Switzerland at his old school.  During the years he spent in Switzerland he studies architectural theories using Modern techniques.  His early works were many times related to nature.  His first major work was his project for the Domino house (1914-1915).  With this project, Le Corbusier created an open floor plan structure which was a basic building prototype for mass production.  It consisted of free standing pillars and ridged floors.  For the next ten years, this model acted as a foundation plan for many of his other projects.

In the 1920's, Le Corbusier noticed the increase in housing issues in urban areas.  Using his modern architectural principles, he set out to create a solution to this problem.  His solution provided a better standard of living for the lower classes.

Urban Planning

His Immeubles Villas (1922) was one of his projects where he designed apartments stacked onto of each other.  Le Corbusier however was not happy with just designing a few blocks of apartments.  Because of this he moved on to creating plans for entire cities.  He designed a plan for a city that could house 3 million inhabitance by building large sky scrapers using steel rods and glass.

Immeubles Villas (1922)

In 1925, Le Corbusier exhibited his "Plan Voisin".  He proposal was to bulldoze the most part of central paris and replace it with his six-story towers.  Due to his principles,  the housing situation changed.  Houses was now assigned according to family size and not to economic status.

Ettore Sottsass

"Ettore Sottsass was born in 1917 and died in 2007.  He was an Italian architect and designer and his designs influenced many different designers."- Wikipedia (2014)


 In 1939, he graduated from the Politecnico Di Turin with a degree in architecture.  He served in the Italian military and after World War two he returned home and began his own architectural and design studio in Milan, Italy. In 1955, he was hired as a design consultant for Olivetti where he design office equipment.  Whilst working along Olivetti's son, he made his name as a designer.  Sottsass became famous for his ability to bring office furniture into Pop culture.


Ettore Sottsass, converted every day items into post modern furniture.  He did this by using striking, bold colours.  He also used harsh straight lines which made his work stand out even more.  "Being a consultant for Olivetti, he designed very memorable products."- Encyclopaedia Britannica 

Some critics at the time accused his works of being too "bold", however as his works and himself as a designer, became more and more popular, there were nothing but good comments.  People were fascinated at the simplicity yet 'fun' look of the products.


Some of his works were gathered for an exhibition.  The works in the exhibition represent "the critical period encompassing the late 1950's to the late 1960's, illustrating his evolution from commercial experimentation towards the establishment of and aesthetic credo that was resolved, defined , and invested with highly personal mythologies"- Christies Private Sales

What is Design? Why is it important?

"Design is that area of human experience , skill and knowledge which is concerned with man's ability to mould his environment according to his material needs"- Archer.B (1973)

"Everything is design. Everything!"- Paul Rand

"Design is a plan for arranging elements in such a way as best to accomplish a particular purpose "- Charles Eames


In my opinion design is a mix between science and art.  Designers create something using scientific principles whilst focusing on the aesthetic and functional elements of the product.  Without science a product will not be functional and without art the product won't be aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  There fore the two go hand in hand.  Having a holistic approach to a design project will enable all the elements to come together in a harmonious and practical way.  One of the most recent and important studies that designers are making use of is the study of Aerodynamics.  This study has helped many businesses grow.  This is the scientific part of the Streamlining Movement which became very popular in the 1930's.  This is a perfect example of how science and art come together.

The definition of design is very subjective.  There has never been one main definition and this allows many different approaches and philosophies toward the subject.  The term 'design' touches upon various different disciplines such as; Painting, furniture design, interior design, Architectural design, Fashion design and also engineering.

Design started from as early as 300,00 BC, where is was used as a means of decoration and communication.  As time passed, through different movements, design was used to re-invent cities in a more modern way.

Why is design important?

Today I think design is important for many reasons.  Firstly, it communicates a persons ideas to his or her audience.  For example, many artists painted paintings in order to express what they were feeling or to communicate what was happening.  Secondly, design is important because especially today, it attracts people to buy products.  Design is an important factor in the worlds economy.  Graphic design had now become an important part of many marketing strategies and marketing plans of different companies.  Another reason why design has become very important is because of sustainability.  Companies are always trying to come up with different products and one major task for designers is to create a design that does not hurt the environment or the inhabitance of that environment.  This has become a very important and costly factor.

Peter Behrens

Peter Behrens was a German architect and designer who lived between 1868 and 1940.  He was very important for the Modernist movement especially in the early years of his career.  Although his background was in Fine Arts, he moved to architecture in 1899.  This move was a major turning point in his life.  Behrens style of design is very serious.  His seriousness lead him to become the director of the kunstgewerberschule in Dusseldorf in 1903.  Behrens was also the founder of the Vereinigten Werkstatten in 1897.



Peter Behrens was one of the many architects that came together to create and work in the German Werkbund in 1907.  This was an organisation generated by ideas of the Arts and Crafts movement.  Their aim was to modify and improve everyday products without the use of excessive technology and mass production.  They promoted craftsmanship.

Behrens was very influenced by Japanese art.  As Schmutzler states, "Behrens earliest works in Jugendstil are ornament drawings like the delicate sketch of butterflies alighting on lily pads framed by rushes, and in this design his affinity with Japanese art is obvious."

Ornament Drawing 

Behrens house door

In 1899, Behrens together with the Darmstadt colony, designed his own house.  He created everything himself.  He designed porcelain table ware which followed the same design as the ceiling.  He also designed his front door which matched the whole design of his house.  Apart from this, he also got into graphic design where he created logos and advertisements for different companies.

'The Kiss'

Some of his Graphic Designs

Louis Kahn

Louis Kahn

louis kahn was an American architect who was based in Pennsylvania.  He was born in 1901 and died in 1971.

In 1935 Kahn found his own style in design.  In previous years he worked with several different firms in Philadelphia however he never really found his own style until he opened his own private practice.  Not only was he an architect, he was also a critic and a professor at the Yale School Of Architecture up until 1957.

From 1957 till his death he was also an architecture professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Although Kahn was a Modernist, he presented a twist in his style.  He produced very heavy looking buildings and never tried to hide it.  He never tried to hide the materials he used or the way they were assembled.  Kahn was one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

















Louis Kahn was know for his ability to fuse the international style with his own personal touch.  One of his most famous works which is still very famous today is the 'Jatiyo Sansad Bahban' in Bangladesh.  The building accommodate all Bangladesh's seven parliaments.

  Another famous work of his is the Yale University Art Gallery in Connecticut.  This project was built between 1951 and 1953.  To him, Modernism as a style lacked the monumental and spiritual qualities that older styles had.  In this way he wanted to transform modernity.  Historians believe that this was Kahn's way of changing modernity into a monumental style after the second world war.

With his designs Kahn sealed to create an emotional impact on those who viewed his architecture.  He did this by creating a sense of openness, space and light in his buildings.

Louis Kahn usually liked to use heavily textured brick in his designs which would then create a contrast with his sleek and smooth surfaces.  These surfaces included glass windows which were lined by steel.

“Kahn’s accomplishment was not the formal variation of elements as ends in themselves, but his constant ability to extract from this void means to express his belief in the institutions he was working for.”- Jeffry Kieffer, New York Architect.