Coming Soon: Making Music Modern: Design for Eye and Ear at The Museum of Modern Art, New York

By

November 15, 2014–November 15, 2015

Philip Johnson Architecture and Design Galleries, third floor

Jonathan Ive, Apple Industrial Design Group. iPod. 2001. Polycarbonate plastic and stainless steel, 4 x 2 1/2 x 7/8″ (10.2 x 6.4 x 2.2 cm). Mfr.: Apple, Inc. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the manufacturer

Jonathan Ive, Apple Industrial Design Group. iPod. 2001. Polycarbonate plastic and stainless steel, 4 x 2 1/2 x 7/8″ (10.2 x 6.4 x 2.2 cm). Mfr.: Apple, Inc. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the manufacturer

Music and design­—art forms that share aesthetics of rhythm, tonality, harmony, interaction, and improvisation—have long had a close affinity, perhaps never more so than during the 20th century. Radical design and technological innovations, from the LP to the iPod and from the transistor radio to the Stratocaster, have profoundly altered our sense of how music can be performed, heard, distributed, and visualized. Avant-garde designers—among them Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Lilly Reich, Saul Bass, Jørn Utzon, and Daniel Libeskind—have endeavored to push the boundaries of their design work in tandem with the music of their time. Drawn entirely from the Museum’s collection, Making Music Modern gathers designs for auditoriums, instruments, and equipment for listening to music, along with posters, record sleeves, sheet music, and animation.

Panasonic. Toot-A-Loop Radio (model R-72). c. 1972. ABS plastic, h. 2 3/4″ (7 cm), diam. 6″ (15.2 cm). Mfr.: Panasonic Company, Secaucus, NJ. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Anne Dixon

Panasonic. Toot-A-Loop Radio (model R-72). c. 1972. ABS plastic, h. 2 3/4″ (7 cm), diam. 6″ (15.2 cm). Mfr.: Panasonic Company, Secaucus, NJ. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of Anne Dixon

 

The exhibition examines alternative music cultures of the early 20th century, the rise of radio during the interwar period, how design shaped the “cool” aesthetic of midcentury jazz and hi-fidelity culture, and its role in countercultural music scenes from pop to punk, and later 20th-century design explorations at the intersection of art, technology, and perception.

Jakob Jensen. Beolit 400 Portable Radio. 1971. Leather, plastic, metal, 8 2/3 x 14 3/16 x 2 3/8″ (22 x 36 x 6 cm). Mfr.: Bang & Olufsen, Struer, Denmark. The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Jakob Jensen. Beolit 400 Portable Radio. 1971. Leather, plastic, metal, 8 2/3 x 14 3/16 x 2 3/8″ (22 x 36 x 6 cm). Mfr.: Bang & Olufsen, Struer, Denmark. The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Dieter Rams, Hans Gugelot. Radio-Phonograph (model SK 4/10). 1956. Painted metal, wood, and plastic, 9 1/2 x 23 x 11 1/2″ (24.1 x 58.4 x 29.2 cm). Mfr.: Braun AG, Frankfurt, Germany. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the manufacturer

Dieter Rams, Hans Gugelot. Radio-Phonograph (model SK 4/10). 1956. Painted metal, wood, and plastic, 9 1/2 x 23 x 11 1/2″ (24.1 x 58.4 x 29.2 cm). Mfr.: Braun AG, Frankfurt, Germany. The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the manufacturer

Lester Beall. Radio – Rural Electrification Administration. 1937. Silkscreen, 40 1/4 x 30″ (102 x 76.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the designer. © 2014 Lester Beall Estate / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

Lester Beall. Radio – Rural Electrification Administration. 1937. Silkscreen, 40 1/4 x 30″ (102 x 76.2 cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Gift of the designer.
© 2014 Lester Beall Estate / Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

This exhibition is organized by Juliet Kinchin, Curator, and Luke Baker, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Architecture and Design, MoMA. Architecture and Design Collection Exhibitions are made possible by Hyundai Card.