Modern Rocking Chair
Most of us are familiar with the pretty picture of an elderly person sitting on a wooden modern rocking chair, rocking to-and-fro out on the patio, smoking a pipe or knitting, and practically enjoying the day in a relaxing mode. It’s the general image that we get from this particular piece of furniture. Traditional, Classic and Old times.
Thus, there is a stigma that these modern rocking chairs don’t belong in the new age. As interior design develops radically, the old picture associated with these chairs gets swallowed by time. There are too many alternatives and new-age substitutes for them. So, slowly, they disappear as people have to keep up with what’s contemporary.
Of course, there are those people who are into antique interior design, so rocking chairs haven’t actually disappeared completely. In fact, modern rocking chairs are quite a collector’s item. They have a rich historic value unlike any other type of furniture. They can be tracked back from the 17th century and well known for their important parts in the biography of Benjamin Franklin and President Lincoln.
In this new age, it is true that what we frequently see in the media about the contemporary interior design is the “minimalist” style which involves simple and symmetrical designs. You don’t see the elaborate carvings and lush upholstery of traditional rocking chairs much. But the true fact that many have missed out on is that modern rocking chairs haven’t really disappeared. They have just gone through a series of evolutions since the 19th century.
The illusion of their disappearance is mainly caused by the stigma created by the general public about what a modern rocking chair should look like. There this fixed picture of the wooden rocking chair described previously in this article. But since the 19th century, modern artists and designers have created a new look for rocking chairs. These new chairs still move like they are supposed to and carry the function of an effective relaxation mediator. As a plus, they look more contemporary and are able to fit into the 20th century design and lifestyle.
There are many talented and renowned artists and designers who contribute towards the evolution of these rocking chairs. Some of them are Charles and Ray Eames, Franco Albini, and Isamu Noguichi. Charles (1907-1978) and Ray (1912-1989) Eames experimented on making furniture by using other materials such as molded plywood, fiberglass-reinforced plastic, bent and welded wire mesh, and cast aluminum. A well-known product of theirs is the RAR (rocking armchair rod) which has a molded fiberglass-reinforced polyester seat and an Eiffel tower base with birch wood rockers on the bottom.
Next is Noguichi (1904-1988), who is a Japanese /American sculptor, designer, architect, and craftsman. His works are really influenced by his Japanese background that is shown by the subtle and unique structure of his masterpieces. He created the rocking stool, a derivative of the conventional rocking chair. It can be seen, today, displayed at the Vitra Museum in Germany.
Meanwhile, Franco Albini (1905-1977) is known to be the most important of the Italian ‘neo-rationalist’ designers. He made use of the inexpensive raw materials available during the post war, keeping in mind that other materials were scarce. He created the “rocking chaise”, which is like a taut hammock held within the confines of a wooden frame. In conclusion, rocking chairs haven’t really gone. The examples above are just to describe how people have made the modern rocking chairs still exist for us to find them today. You can find the products of the recent designs made for home use at most furniture stores. They come in ranging prices and most are cheaper than the traditional rocking chair. So don’t hesitate to check out some of these modern rocking chairs. They might be the perfect attribute to your home.