Dan: The images Peter has posted on the ‘Design and Fun’ website vividly portray the 1960s/ 70s era which interests me greatly. I am sure many others share my view in considering these times to be the highpoint of 20th century design. For me the collected works of a designer like Verner Panton are inspirational. I try to collect his designs especially (when the price is fair). Also I am attracted by the work of the Italians- Joe Colombo and manufacturers like Kartell and Artemide. I would class myself as being drawn to items reflecting the common international idiom for these times. For me this might be stated by these key principles-

Design engendering imagination, optimism and possibility- the futurism of the space race resonates for me in designs such as the JVC Videosphere TV.

Wittiness- design intended as a provocation to the preceding status-quo. I would class the POP movement in this vein. Take for example the Gufram Cactus- a marvellous thing!

High aesthetic standards- the seating of Pierre Paulin is worthy of mention here in terms of the perfect shapes he crafted.

New materials demanding new forms- the artificiality of plastics is actually an expression of absolute modernity. Herein brightly coloured sculptural designs (like Panton S chair) give a distinctive identity to the modernist principle of devising forms appropriate to the latest materials and technology.

Notions of flexibility and ergonomics- the harmony between utility, form and function. For instance the Vignelli stacking dinnerware for Heller scores highly on these criteria.

Design as holistic enterprise- for instance the interaction of light and colour is key in resonating to the human psyche. This was the view of Panton- actually I must give a plug for the Vitra book on Panton! It really is essential.

Peter: How did you get started with collecting?

Dan: I am still quite new to collecting 60s/70s design. Only two years ago is when I started. My story is as follows-

When it came to furnishing my first house I was dissatisfied with what I found most high street stores sold in terms of furniture design

I bought a few design magazines to see if there was anything better. The magazines confirmed one perception I held- most of the ultra exclusive design stores based in London weren’t for me (prices were out of my budget)

The magazines did feature stores like Habitat. I see one role of stores like Habitat as offering a way into collecting design. Visiting Habitat was for me educational in a way. It was the
Habitat issues of Panton rugs that made me conscious of Panton- and prompted me to investigate more of his work- this led me to looking on the web.

All this time I was reading about 60s/ 70s design whenever I could. Surfing the web is the key piece of my collecting jigsaw- the Eureka moment is when I realised it was possible to locate and buy original 60s/ 70s design on the web (and in their stores). It is great that people make a business selling ‘vintage’ design!

Peter:  You started out with wanting to decorate your house, now you not only have a profound knowledge of 20 th Century Design, but also reflect the relationship of highlights of important design objects with the time in
history it was created (like the Pop era or the space race). Were you always that reflective and considerate about things, or did this matter get you into also think about 20th century history?

Dan: I’m not sure I have a 'profound knowledge'- I certainly wouldn't consider myself an expert. I am still very much a student of these subjects, always on the look out for new reading matter in books or magazines. My educational background is based in the social sciences so I guess it’s natural for me to always look to put things into a wider context- social, political, economic, technological, environmental. The key understanding is to see the linkages between all these. Take for example the Pratone- that pop piece of furniture in the shape of a meadow of oversized blades of grass. For me its merit is both a social piece of POP history and a technical accomplishment of designers working with new materials. Marvel at the Pago Pago vase- it’s best feature in being that it can be stood either way up- inverting it shows that the openings are different. For me there is an environmental quality here of saving materials- it is two vases in one essentially! The 20th Century is still very much with us all so the views and opinions are still very much in the melting pot- all of us can empathise with design in this way. I particularly admire the sellers of vintage design in this regard- their profound knowledge is not only to know about designs but also where to source examples of them. Just chatting to these folk is a great education and what they do by turning up the designs is to keep them alive.


Peter: How did you decorate your house now, what are your favourite pieces?

Dan: My house is only a modest size and I am trying to make things interesting by creating overall looks in each room. This is very much in the tradition of the total design environment advocated by Panton. My kitchen/ diner is conceived in warm advancing colours- reds, orange, yellows. Some favourite pieces are Panton stacking chairs, a yellow Bobby trolley by Colombo and Kartell round-up units. The lounge is basically a blue affair, with Panton carpet and curtains. These are the concentric circles design which I think are for sale on the Design and Fun website. My bedroom is green- again colour co-ordinated Panton designs are a feature while one wall has a moonscape painting by one Howling Tidman! Apparently there used to be such thing as art parties where you could buy paintings. This one was bought back in 1972. I want to do a lot more to finish the work I have started- for instance covering the walls and ceilings with installations of plastic panels.

Overall the look is one best described as ‘mod’- with the references being to op art, pop and colour through design materials of plastics and fabrics.

Peter: Is there anything you are looking to get next?

Dan: Perhaps the best fun in collecting vintage design is answering questions like this! Obviously there are so many things I would like and could say in answer- to summarise I would say my dreams are funnelled into reality by the following considerations- availability and utility. Regarding availability- obviously there is frustration in desiring things that are rare. I would love to complete a collection of Panton’s Collection Décor 1 fabrics- however these Panton fabrics are only occasionally for sale. Utility is an important consideration for me- I like to buy items that you can hold and use instead of ones that live in a display cabinet. This is quite philosophical- I don’t have any display cabinets in my house- most of what I buy has to have some kind of functionality rather than just existing to be looked at. There is a context to utility too- for instance there would be less point in collecting movable plastic units if the rest of the fittings in that room had fixed positions. So I look for items to be flexible and configurable in how they can be used. Designs that would work perfectly in this sense are Panton’s light table- a table AND a light. Joe Colombo’s tube chair- totally flexible in how you set it. Kartell’s Bibliotheque shelving would be spot on for me too in that you can build it to suit but then rebuild it when circumstances changed.

Thank you, Dan!

(Photos to come)

(If you want to leave a feed-back to Dan, just send an email to me, I will forward it to him) 

mail to: info@designandfun.com