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At Home with Plastics?Currently at the Geffrye Museum, London is ‘At Home with Plastics’. Examples of the most popular and interesting plastics are featured, from Parkesine, the first plastic invented in the late nineteenth century, to the super-tough plastics of today. The exhibition demonstrates, through a chronological sequence of three ‘schematic’ or ‘virtual’ living rooms, the many ways in which plastics have gradually improved the quality of everyday life in the home. The first completely synthetic plastic was Bakelite, invented c.1907, which could only be made in dark colours. Typical uses included door fittings, radio cabinets, telephones and electrical goods, examples of which can be seen in the 1930s living room.
In the mid 1920s a new type of plastic, Urea Formaldehyde, was developed, which was almost clear and could be coloured, allowing brighter coloured objects to be produced. Plastics technology advanced rapidly during the war, and in the aftermath the new materials such as polythene, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride (pvc) and acrylic offered new possibilities in the design of domestic goods. These new plastics offered convenience and hygiene; polythene allowed air-tight food containers and plastic bags; and melamine provided hard-wearing, heat and water resistant surfaces, popularly marketed under trade names such as Formica.
The social revolution in the 1960s and 1970s embraced plastic as the modern material. Objects from this period are highlighted in the 1965-1975 living room. For furniture designers, completely new shapes and structures were possible by moulding acrylic (marketed as perspex) and polypropylene. Robin Day’s famous ‘polyprop’ chair set the standard for a new generation of seating.
Although in the mid to late 70s there was a renewed interest in natural materials, the new plastics such as polycarbonate and acetal, developed in the late 1960s encouraged new designs in domestic appliances such as kettles, television sets and other electronic goods. These products were in widespread use by the 1980s. In recent years, plastic has become a fashionable material for contemporary high-style goods, from Alessi tableware, iMac computers and mobile phones. Complementary exhibition in the Design Centre: 'Radical Plastics' A selection of the most experimental new plastics by East London designer-makers, highlighting the versatility of plastic, will be on display. This will include furniture, lighting, tableware and accessories.
Location: Geffrye Museum, Kingsland Road, |
