The Furniture Machine, Furniture since 1990

Abstract

With chapters ranging from ‘New Functionalism’, ‘Neo-Pop’ and ‘Material Experiments’ to ‘Design Manifestos’, Gareth Williams makes it clear that his book, The Furniture Machine, Furniture since 1990, is about: … objects and furniture that lead changes in taste and contribute to defining the visual and material culture of the age. As such, they are made for a very small elite … and by no means represent the belongings of the vast majority of people … (p. 6). Given this, The Furniture Machine is a valuable record of innovation and changing perceptions of design during its period, even though it is evident that the objects that are catalysts for those changes and innovations are actually experienced by very few people. As a study of a period that is still unfolding, Gareth Williams’ book is evidence of a very recently ‘lived’ history. An exploration of carefully selected objects and designers, it not only questions the themes that Williams has identified but also demonstrates that those themes, objects and their designers will form a record of the period for the future.

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