Bean Bags and the 1960s
Uploaded by Jay-V on Oct 25, 2005
The 1960s was the start of a new era in design, an exciting and changing cause of ideas and experimentation, with new looks, colours and materials being constantly introduced due to changing technology. A new generation of designers were rejecting the ideas and values of 1950s organic modernism by experimenting with new materials such as plastics, to create new furniture in vivid colours and fluid shapes. Any homes that were design conscious would contain Scandinavian chairs and stainless steel cutlery, Italian lighting and glass. The Danish designer Verner Panton and the Italians Joe Colombo and Anna Castelli-Ferreri seized the change of times to experiment with plastic and “fluid” materials to capture the futuristic style of the 1960s design, which introduced the Pop aesthetic to furniture and interiors. Furniture began to “break the rules” as they raced to develop plastic stacking chairs just like the tubular steel pioneers of the 1920s. Panton officially became the first person to develop the inflatable furniture. From plastic chairs and blow-up furniture, Bean Bags were introduced in 1969.
In the 1970s, interior and home design became an increasingly wild ride. In general, the mood darkened with many worldly affairs due to the Vietnam War and political unrest. Many conservatives such as Paolo Deganello and Ettore Sottsass rejected the modern movement, and designer of inflatable furniture Verner Panton lost his place in the centre of the design scene. One concept that was not lost was the idea of using polystyrene in furniture. In particular, its use in creating the first bean bag by 3 Italian designers in late 1968. Paolini, Teodoro and Gatti were the three responsible for creating the “Sacco” as it was originally known.
Cesare Paolini was born in 1937, Genua and Franco Teodoro and Piero Gatti were born in Turin in 1939 and 1940 respectively. They started working together in the field of design in 1965 specializing in architecture, decoration, industrial and urban design, product development and graphic and corporate images. In 1968, they introduced their most famous creation, the "sacco", which became to be more commonly known as the "bean bag". It became an instant worldwide phenomenon, and a leading icon of the 1970s. It is displayed in galleries and museums and was awarded worldwide. It was originally described as an "anatomical armchair" and was the first mass produced bean bag furniture.
They were constructed of vinyl and filled with polystyrene, which were quite...