ht word. Because these three words might as well have been the "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity" of the Modernist age, in terms of the impact they had on how we lived in and interacted with the world around us ever since. The Guggenheim Museum in New York (designed by Louis Sullivan's mentee Frank Lloyd Wright) is perhaps the best representation of the philosophy. Visitors start at the top and walk down in a continuous spiral designed to mimic the art viewing experience.
The challenge of course in applying the maxim of “form follows function” is its inherent contradiction in applying it to product design. Core principles of product marketing such as planned obsolescence and differentiation would be at risk if simplicity and substitutability became buzzwords instead. As Frank Lloyd Wright himself said, “'Form follows function' is mere dogma until you realize the higher truth that form and function are one.”
Despite the inherent contradictions, the wave of Modernism swept the creative scene with a force never seen before. Art, Philosophy, Architecture, Design - none were immune to the forces of Modernism willing to challenge every precedent with a simple question - Why? And in many ways the Mart Stam cantilever chair is the definitive design of the Modernist movement. Why must a chair have four legs? Why must it be made of wood? Why can't it be instead a single metallic tube moulded to support a seat?
American Industrial Design
If modernism prioritized function over form, it can be reasonably said of American Industrial Design that its main objective was to prioritize sales. At the height of the Great Depression in the 1930s, demand for new consumer goods had essentially dried up. High unemployment and stagnant wages meant disposable income was low and there was no “need” to buy anything new. In such a stagnant and oppressive environment, Raymond Loewy first hit upon the underlying concepts of American Industrial Design.
"For American designers the conception of aesthetics consists of a beautiful sales curve, shooting upward" - Raymond Loewy
Loewy understood that in such depressing times, consumers had to be motivated to make a purely discretionary purchase and this motivation needed to not only alleviate the pains of the grinding Depression of the moment but make her feel she was making an investment in a better future. Gone were the straight lines and functionalist ideals of Modernism and it was replaced with sensuous futuristic curves that signified prosperity, growth and a way of living previously unknown. Why does a toaster need to be aerodynamic and streamlined? Well if it is from the future it does.
Starting in the 1930s and continuing through the 40s, Loewy designed many iconic products that painted a vision of the future to American consumers. Among the iconic designs were the Pennsylvania Railroad S1 locomotive and the Sears Coldspot refrigerator. The Coldspot refrigerator not only introduced the trademark aerodynamic styling associated with Loewy into the kitchen, but also introduced practical innovations that improved the product’s serviceability and maintenance. In the year of its launch, Coldspot sales soared 300 percent. A beautiful sales curve Loewy undoubtedly approved of.
By the time the 1950s came around, American Industrial Design had entered its peak. The post-War boom years released a wave of pent-up consumption and for designers there were previously unparalleled opportunities to design and create products that not just catered to niche markets and well-to-do clientele but a new mass market that wanted, and more importantly, could afford luxury. The term 'populuxe' is sometimes used to describe popular American Industrial Design in the 1950s represented by the Herman Miller ball clock. The term simultaneously conveyed the ideas of popular luxury or luxury for all as a precursor to affordable luxury movement of today.
American Industrial Design did not just break with Modernism in that form did not follow function and in the use of synthetic plastics or colors. Instead it represented a refined aesthetic