Why 20th Century Design Never Goes Out of Style

There is no doubt, 20th century design has retained its relevance today, serving as a compelling testament to its enduring status as a timeless collectible. Art and design collectors everywhere still relish the timeless design elements of 20th century design, characterized by clean lines, vibrant colors, organic shapes, and the artistic connection between form and function. These aesthetics translate to classic practicality and transcend generations. Another significant factor is that many of the contemporary trends you see today have their roots in 20th century designs, making them seamlessly compatible with today’s interiors.

20th century design (modernism) has influenced most everything and everyone in the 21st century. These are the reasons 20th century design still feels beautiful, modern, and desirable.

Influences on 20th Century Design

A dramatic explosion of creativity took place during the 20th century, sparking new and innovative ideas. Much of the work from this time period was inspired by and reflective of life-changing historical events, such as:

•  World War I and World War II
• The Great Depression
• The civil rights movement
• Excess indulgence and frivolity countered by placing value on practicality over extravagance
• Industrialization
• Mass-produced materials and products countered by natural materials and handmade objects
• New manufacturing techniques that made new forms and shapes possible
• The development of new materials like fiberglass, plywood, and plastics
• The advent of automobile and air travel
• The first man landing on the moon
• The miniaturization of electronics
• Technological leaps forward like television, computer technology, and the Internet
• A great shift from traditional values
• Commercialism
• A focus on the individual
• Great social, political, and artistic change characterized by incredible output and diversity

The Golden Era for Design?

Because of the wide range of influence and the diversity of experience captured in the work, 20^th century design is defined by a vast catalog of artistic movements, such as Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, Bauhaus, Modernism, Post-Modernism, and more. This makes the 20^th century incredibly unique. Many regard it as “the golden era for design.” This seems like a great moniker since it supports the idea that 20th century design is likely to inspire even more artists and art collectors for generations to come.

20th Century Design at Moderne Gallery

Many influential designers helped to shape the vibrant, timeless 20^th century design movement. Here are a few of the most famous 20^th century designers you can find at Moderne Gallery.

George Nakashima (1905 – 1990)

George Nakashima is widely regarded as one of the most influential pioneers of the American craft and studio furniture movement. His designs exude simplicity and elegance, combined with functionality and a focus on the beauty of wood in its natural form. He was a master of traditional Japanese woodworking techniques, and his work elevated craft to an art form. His most successful designs, sought after by collectors, include the Conoid Chair and the Minguren Coffee Table.

Sam Maloof (1916 – 2009)

Sam Maloof began making furniture in 1949, after working as a graphic artist in industry, serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, and working as a studio assistant to the artist-designer Millard Sheets, . During the 1950s, he was a key member of the innovative, Los Angeles-area modern design movement; his work was included in the annual “California Design” shows, as well as other exhibits of contemporary-style home furnishings. With its warm tones, hand-sculpted details, and simple, timeless designs, Maloof’s walnut furniture perfectly complemented the spare, open-plan interiors of the sleek, modernist Southern California residences built during that decade. Leading West Coast architects and decorators, as well as style-conscious homeowners, regularly ordered pieces from his small workshop, and his classic design attracted nationwide attention in the press. In 1969 he expressed his credo: “I want to be able to work a piece of wood into an object that contributes something beautiful and useful to our everyday living. To be able to work with materials without destroying their natural beauty and warmth, to be able to work as we want—that is a God-given privilege.”

As crafts gained popularity and credibility on both coasts, Sam discovered he was part of a thriving national movement. At the ACC conference at Asilomar, participants discovered their shared dedication to working with their hands in an increasingly technological society. Maloof soon emerged as a leader; he served for a quarter century as an ACC trustee and during that time spoke and wrote tirelessly to promote the moral and spiritual values of handcraftsmanship.

Estelle Halper (1918 – 1980)

Estelle Halper initially took ceramic classes at Greenwich House Pottery in Manhattan in the early 1940’s, with Peter Volkous, James Crumrine, and Ilsa Rothmer. In 1952, she attended a workshop given by Bernard Leach and Shoji Hamada, also at Greenwich House.

Influenced by the simplicity of the classic forms of Japanese, Chinese and Greek pottery, she initially based her designs on these classic forms, later developing her own personal approach to ceramics and design. She worked with stoneware clay, while sculptural works were made of stoneware with grog. Best known for her volcanic turquoise and blue glazes, these were developed while experimenting in her studio in the early 1950’s.

During the 1950’s her style became ever more eclectic, integrating classic forms with her unique manner of expressing emotion through innovative ceramic design. Many of her sculptural forms were inspired by nature – gourds, pods, sea forms and vegetation – which led her to dramatically alter her ceramic forms while evolving a more sculptural and abstract approach to her pottery. Further, Halper’s expressive use of glazes on plates and vessels reflects the influence of the Abstract Expressionists on her work. Their visions nourished her love of color fused with the expression of intense emotions. In her work, she focused on seeing the beauty in life forms and coordinating form and design with an underlining harmony of color to deepen the emotional impact of each piece.

Wendell Castle (1932 – 2018)

Wendell Castle was an American furniture artist and a leading figure in the American Studio Craft Movement. From 1962-1969, he taught at Rochester Institute of Technology, School for American Craftsmen, in Rochester, NY, and was an Artist in Residence. In 1980, he opened the Wendell Castle School in Scottsville, NY. Castle is famous for his use of stack-lamination, a woodworking technique he pioneered in the 1960s, which was based on a 19th-century sculptural technique used for making duck decoys. Stack-lamination allowed Castle to create large blocks of wood out a series of planks, which were then carved and molded into the biomorphic shapes for which he is best known. He garnered a number of awards, including a 1994 ‘Visionaries of the American Craft Movement’ award sponsored by the American Craft Museum, and a 1997 Gold Medal from the American Craft Council. In 2001 he received the Award of Distinction from The Furniture Society. He received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Comfort Tiffany Foundation. In 2001 he received the Award of Distinction from The Furniture Society. His work is in numerous museums throughout the world.

Wharton Esherick (1887 – 1970)

Wharton Esherick was an internationally significant figure in the landscape of art history and American modern design. As a sculptor, Esherick worked primarily in wood and extended his unique forms to furniture, furnishings, interiors, buildings, and more. A Philadelphia-area modernist sculptor deeply influenced by the Arts & Crafts movement, Wharton Esherick designed and built furniture distinctive for its asymmetric, prismatic forms.

His goal was to design furniture that functioned as sculpture, and sculpture that functioned as furniture. “His motto, “If it isn’t fun, it isn’t worth doing,” is evident in the joyful expression of his work. Now recognized as a leader of the Studio Furniture Movement, Esherick saw himself as an artist, not a craftsman, and his concern was with form, not technique. He pursued his artistic vision in forms that might turn to furniture or other sculptural furnishings. More importantly, these were but one aspect of his art complemented by the paintings, prints, drawings, poetry, and sculpture he also created. The eldest of the 4 members (Esherick, Nakashima, Maloof, Espenet Carpenter) of the first generation of Studio Furniture makers, Sam Maloof referred to Esherick as the “Dean of American Craftsmen”atured in American Woodturner, the Journal of the American Association of Woodturners.

Moderne Gallery Appraisal Services for 20th Century Design

Founded in 1984, the Philadelphia-based Moderne Gallery is internationally renowned as a leading dealer of timeless 20^th century design. With a specialized knowledge of works from the Studio Craft Movement, Moderne Gallery has established a reputation as an authority on works by designers such as George Nakashima and Wharton Esherick. Please click here to submit items for appraisal or contact us with any questions.

Explore the Moderne Gallery