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.
