After the devastation of the Second World War (1939–45), governments across the globe needed to rebuild dwindling economies. Rationing restrictions, due to shortages in foods and other products, in the UK were finally lifted in 1954 and citizens were encouraged to spend, spend, spend. Mass consumption was encouraged to aid economic growth, to maintain jobs, and improve lifestyles.
Mass-produced products made of plastics in high quantities became part of this drive. Due to the large numbers of units produced at one time, they could be made at low cost and purchased cheaply. Being cheap to buy they were easy to replace and therefore perceived as disposable. During this period, the idea of using something once and then throwing it away was celebrated as a sign of wealth and cleanliness. Consumers were encouraged to use disposable products for their efficiency and to avoid contamination.
To meet demands, manufacturers become publicly experimental with the materials they used to create new products. This sometimes bore witness to the wrong materials being used, and objects failing to fulfil the tasks they were designed to do. They were also used to create frivolous products and became synonymous with kitsch styling. It's at this point that the material group started to be seen as inferior by many people.
However, during the decades of the mid-20th century, as designers and manufacturers learnt more about how best to use the materials, plastics were no longer being seen simply as cheap substitute materials but were embraced for the properties and characteristics they offer to design. This was particularly celebrated in the 1968 exhibition, Plastic as Plastic, held at the Museum of Contemporary Crafts in New York, which featured displays of objects in categories listed as jewellery and accessories, architecture, art, automotive, interior accessories and furniture, historical pieces, housewares and appliances, packaging, technology, and toys.
Our exhibition, Mid-century MoDiP, uses the objects from our own collection in a visual exploration of the use of plastics in design from the 1950s through to the 1970s. All the objects on display in this exhibition are between 45 and 75 years-old. For some of our visitors they will be new and intriguing to them and for others they are familiar and loaded with nostalgia. How do they make you feel?
Visit to the MoDiP website for more information about this exhibition.
