“Small Things Considered,” at The Parrish Art Museum

by Victoria L. Cooper

What would you do if there were no safety pins or pencil sharpeners? It may sound like an absurd question, but you might find that without some of these simple and often overlooked designs, our lives would be dramatically different. Industrial design in the 20th century has changed the way we live. The Parrish Art Museum is holding a continuing contest on everyday design entitled, “Small Things Considered.” In this three-part series, the Parrish invites the community to bring in their favorite designs so that museum staff and audience members can consider the successes, failures and possible modifications to the participants’ favorite designs. The winning designs will then be displayed in the museum gallery from April 1 through May 27, in conjunction with the exhibition titled “Raymond Loewy: Designs for a Consumer Culture.” The exhibition will cover some of Raymond Lowey’s original drawings, products, advertisements, models and rare film footage.

Kara Wingfield, Director of Education at the Parrish Art Museum, was able to discuss the first part of the design contest. Wingfield believes that the basis of the contest is to try to engage the community in the exhibit, especially as it deals with objects and designs that we all use. Participants brought in their favorite objects, which were then discussed in an open conversation. In order for something to qualify as industrial design, the one criterion it must meet is that it is mass-produced. Some objects participants brought included Swiss army knives, mini Ziploc bags designed for pills, curled paper clips, egg slicers, wireless computer mice, EZ passes, staplers, push pins, bottle openers, paper lunch bags and USB jump drive memory sticks.

After the group viewed the objects, they continued to discuss how they would classify and categorize the designs. Should they be classified based on their utilitarian use, or their decoration and beauty? They also noted the fact that many of these designs have evolved after going through trial and error periods. For example, curled paper clips were once used in place of nickels to “cheat” parking meters. Designers modified the curled paper clip so that people cheating the Department of Transportation out of countless nickels would be foiled.

The Parrish Art Museum is very excited about their upcoming exhibition of Raymond Loewy’s work. Loewy revolutionized the design industry, working as a consultant for more than 200 companies and creating product designs for everything from cigarette packs and refrigerators, to cars and spacecraft. Loewy was born in Paris in 1893 and came to America in 1919 with only enough money to pay for the boat ride over. He launched his career in industrial design in 1929 when Sigmund Gestetner, a British manufacturer of duplicating machines, commissioned him to improve the appearance of a mimeograph machine. In the process, he helped launch a profession that has changed the look of America and, undoubtedly, the world.

The Gestetner mimeograph machine was the first of countless items transformed by Leowy’s “streamlining,” a technique that Loewy is credited with originating. He called the concept “beauty through function and simplification” and spent over 50 years streamlining many designs of objects used by our culture. His more famous creations include the Lucky Strike cigarette package, the Coca-Cola bottle, the GG1 and S1 locomotives, the John F. Kennedy memorial postage stamp, the interior of Saturn I, Saturn V and Skylab, the Greyhound bus and logo, the Shell International logo, the Exxon logo, the U.S. Postal Service emblem, a line of Frigidaire refrigerators and freezers, and the Studebaker Avanti.

His designs and creative genius were so powerful that, by 1951, he was able to claim that “the average person, leading a normal life, whether in the country, a village, a city, or a metropolis, is bound to be in daily contact with some of the things, services, or structures in which R.L.A. (Raymond Loewy Associates) created.”

Loewy was also involved in helping the automobile industry with different designs and practical functions, such as slanted windshields and built-in headlights. He also advocated lower, leaner and more fuel-efficient automobiles long before fuel economy became a concern. In 1986, Loewy passed away after he returning to France with his family. His achievements and legacy have established Loewy as the Father of Industrial Design.

“Small Things Considered” and other programs that the Parrish Art Museum offers encourage innovative and experimental approaches to stimulating dialogue and inquiry. If you would like to see one of your favorite designs displayed in conjunction with Loewy’s work, join the contest at the Parrish Art Museum. The next meeting is being held on Friday, March 2 at 12 p.m.

The Parrish Art Museum is located at 25 Jobs Lane, Southampton. Call 631-283-2118 or visit www.parrishart.org for more information.