The Value of Good Design, on view at MoMA through June 15, explores the democratizing potential of design, beginning with MoMA's Good Design initiatives from the late 1930s through the 1950s, which championed well-designed, affordable contemporary products. The exhibition features objects from domestic furnishings and appliances to ceramics, glass, electronics, transport design, sporting goods, toys, and graphics.
The exhibition also raises questions about what Good Design might mean today, and whether values from mid-century can be translated and redefined for a 21st-century audience. Visitors are invited to judge for themselves by trying out a few "good design" classics still in production, and exploring how, through its design stores, MoMA continues to incubate new products and ideas in an international marketplace.
Photos: John Wronn, Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art