In the late 1960s, the development of plastic molding, stretch jersey, and polyurethane foam radically changed the international furniture industry. "I considered the manufacture of chairs to be rather primitive and I was trying to think up new processes," said Paulin in a 2008 interview. "I had tried to appeal to the lifestyle of young people. They were into low-level living." The floor-hugging Tongue Chair was built from metallic frames padded with foam and covered with stretchable material in a variety of bright colors. Its free, sprawling form embodied an anti-establishment sensibility, and it sold in huge numbers.
Gallery label from From the Collection: 1960-69, March 26, 2016 - March 12, 2017.
In some of the most progressive contemporary interiors of the 1960s and ’70s, draperies were eliminated in favor of tautly stretched fabrics that served as translucent wall panels, sheathed light fixtures, and covered sculpted foam forms. In furniture and interiors designed by Paulin, fabric became an integral part of a structure and any unnecessary bulk or weight was strictly avoided.
Gallery label from October 21, 2019–Spring 2020
