The Language of Beauty and the Modern Interior: An Approach to Aesthetic Criticism

Abstract

Objective This article presents a critical evaluation of images of the popular American modern environment of the 1940s. Theoretical Framework Using content analysis and a close semiological reading of representative images and phrases, the spaces of the modern interior environment in the context of the philosophical writings of Burke (1756), Kant (1790), Ruskin (1849), Downing (1865) and Turner (1991) are examined. Works by these philosophers collectively establish a connection between the concepts of beauty, nature, and the feminine that results in the construction of a language of beauty used to market modern design in popular women's periodicals. Analysis The Better Homes and Gardens‘ series entitled “Tomorrow You Can Live Like This” (1944–45) is used to represent modern design for this analysis. Eleven well–known architects and designers submitted designs for this series to promote modern design in American popular culture. The spaces published as part of this series share common characteristics including multi–functionalism, a lack of extraneous ornamentation, and non–traditional spatial definition. These characteristics are translated metaphorically into the concepts of freshness, simplicity, and flexibility. Key Findings The connection formed between cultural understanding of the concept of beauty and modern design was used to strengthen the appeal of modernism to the American public. In place of the emphasis on functionalism promoted by high–style designers, the use of language connected the qualities of freshness, simplicity, and flexibility found in modern design to culturally–based notions regarding aesthetics. Conclusions Understanding perceptions of the modern interior from a female user/consumer vantage point is significant in providing an inclusive approach to assessing the meaning of interior environments from outside of the designer's point of view and for demonstrating the importance of women as consumers of design in the post–war period.