Delving into the Creative Resurgence of the 1940s: Art and Design Perspectives
The heart of 'Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s' at the Philadelphia Museum of Art lies in the exploration of resilience and innovation amidst hardship. This exhibit showcases a diverse array of design, painting, fashion, and photography that flourished despite extreme adversity, particularly during WWII.
The exhibit demonstrates how the war's locomotive propelled the visual arts through technological advancements. Pioneers like Charles and Ray Eames and Earl Tupper, known for their signature plywood and plastic kitchen staples, respectively, owe their beginnings to wartime initiatives. Their innovations, funded by the U.S. Navy and DuPont, respectively, prove that adversity can often breed creativity.
This journey through the 1940s also traces the genealogy of key aesthetic languages that shaped the century, with early Abstract Expressionist works by artists like Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, the nascent modernism of Paul McCobb's furniture, and Christian Dior's New Look silhouettes setting the stage for dynamic dialogues between politics and visual styles.
One of the most poignant examples of this dynamic can be found in the experience of Japanese American designers George Nakashima and Isamu Noguchi. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, Franklin Roosevelt's Executive Order 9066 led to the incarceration of around 127,000 Japanese Americans in ten concentration camps across the Western U.S.
While Noguchi, living in New York, was initially exempt from relocation and voluntarily admitted himself to Arizona's Poston camp in 1942, Nakashima and his family were interned at the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho. Despite the challenging living conditions, both artists found creative outlets in their respective camps.
For Nakashima, a fortuitous encounter with Master Carpenter Gentaro Hikogawa in Minidoka significantly expanded his practice. With Hikogawa's mentorship, Nakashima mastered Japanese carpentry tools and complex joinery techniques, creating furniture that improved living conditions in the camp.
In Nakashima's 'Grass Seated Chair' (1946), a beautiful synthesis of East and West influences can be seen. This chair, with its simple utilitarian design and hand-spun seagrass seat, reflects the influence of Hikogawa as much as it showcases the harsh conditions that inspired it.
Noguchi's experience of internment also left an indelible mark on his practice. Moving towards abstraction and found materials, his works like 'Yellow Landscape' (1943) and 'This Tortured Earth' (1942-43) mirrored the harsh desert setting and isolating impact of the camp.
Noguchi's sculpture 'Avatar' (1948) introduces the idea of modularity in his designs, reflecting the potential for displacement and the need for adaptability. On the other hand, his 'Table Lamp' (same year as 'Avatar') aimed to banish the ghosts of his internment, seeking light to lead him out of the darkness.
Both Nakashima and Noguchi used their internment experiences to forge a creative identity that seamlessly combined their cultural roots with a deep appreciation for art, design, and universal values. Their work reflects resilience, innovation, and a profound respect for imperfection, nature, and cross-cultural dialogue shaped by their war-time experiences.
'Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s' runs until 1 September 2025 at Philadelphia Museum of Art. philamuseum.org
Fun Fact: 'Boom' reveals that the one material you'll find often in this show? Hope.
[1] George Nakashima Foundation, (n.d.), About George Nakashima. Retrieved from https://georgenakashima.org/about/[2] Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, (n.d.), Isamu Noguchi Biography. Retrieved from https://noguchi.org/about/isamu-noguchi/biography/[3] The Cleveland Museum of Art, (n.d.), Isamu Noguchi: A Restless Journey Through Space and Time. Retrieved from https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2022/isamu-noguchi-a-restless-journey-through-space-and-time
- The exhibit, 'Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s', at the Philadelphia Museum of Art demonstrates how war-and-conflicts, specifically WWII, influenced politics and general-news, providing the impetus for innovations in visual arts, as evidenced by the works of artists like George Nakashima and Isamu Noguchi.
- During their internment experiences, both George Nakashima and Isamu Noguchi faced adversity, yet their work continued to explore resilience and creativity, offering insights into the intricate relationship between war-and-conflicts, politics, and visual styles.
