Tickets

Machine Art

Mar 5–Apr 29, 1934

MoMA

Visitors to Machine Art were startled to find three floors of utilitarian, machine-made objects, such as springs, pots and pans, and scientific instruments, displayed on pedestals, elevating them to the level of sculpture. This reverential display revealed the considerable aesthetic allure of these industrial objects, which the Museum capitalized on with a beauty contest judged by celebrities such as Amelia Earhart and the philosopher John Dewey. Dewey had argued that a person’s experience of things is shaped by the context in which they are viewed, a concept that curator Philip Johnson employed in his groundbreaking design for the exhibition. Johnson took unusual steps to show the objects to their greatest effect: he screened the walls and ceilings of the Museum’s second location in a 19th-century brownstone in order to hide its decorative molding, creating a sleek, clean atmosphere that set a new standard for the display of design objects.

  • This exhibition is part of 52 Exhibitions.

    • Publications

    • Machine art : March 6 to April 30, 1934 1934 Out of print, 132 pages
    • Master checklist 16 pages
    • Press release 2 pages
    • Press release 3 pages
    • Press release 5 pages
    • Press release 2 pages
    • Press release 1 page
    • Press release 2 pages

    Artists

    Installation images

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