As industry withdrew, the creative types came and populated the empty factory floors of the big cities. Art, furniture design and work life benefitted from this international trend. EGGER, a supplier of wood-based materials, interprets this trend with its forthcoming decorative range.
He built the bath tub himself – from wooden slats and tar. He only used it in the summer as in winter it was too cold to bathe without hot water. We’re talking about the as yet still unknown artist Robert Rauschenberg, who in 1953 was one of the first New Yorkers to move into a “loft”. And because of financial reasons, as that’s how the trend started: with 10 dollar a month rents.
Six-meter high walls, steel beams, large windows – these were now the studios and apartments of painters, sculptors and dancers. Soon these artist’s lofts were creating competition for the galleries, as they served not just as living and workspaces, but also as exhibition areas. The pinnacle of this development came with Andy Warhol’s “Factory”: the clue was in the name.
