Strange as it may seem, there are people who enjoy decorating their homes in styles of bygone eras. And, we not talking about vintage style, or anything that smacks of class or elegance, we're talking about the dodgy designs that proliferated in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and even, these days, the 80s. Some call it retro, some call it kitsch. Those who call it retro don't like it when you call it kitsch and those who call it kitsch don't much care what you call it because they're happy in their Elvis-themed rooms bowing before their shrines to Graceland.
According to Wikipedia, retro is a "culturally outdated or aged style, trend, mode, or fashion, from the overall postmodern past, that has since that time become functionally or superficially the norm once again." That's a very long-winded way of saying that people get hooked on the past and develop dangerous obsessions with plaid. Of course those who are into retro prefer to think of it in more positive terms and once again we turn to Wikipedia which obliges us with a referral to "quirky or attractive products that are no longer available". There is even a term for an intense love of retro objects: retrophilia.
For the discerning, there is a difference between kitsch and retro with kitsch being the inferior of the two styles. Wikipedia weighs in with a brief history on the word, which is of German origin and used to refer to inferior or tasteless art that shamelessly borrows from the real thing. Kitsch refers to things that are aesthetically deficient, and gaudy. Kitsch takes things which could be subjectively construed as cool (Elvis, Star Wars, garden gnomes, Oriental influences) and mangles them so badly that they are barely recognisable.
A few examples
When one thinks of retro décor, one thinks of colours, textures and bold shapes. The most obvious example, and one which almost anyone referring to retro examples uses, is the avocado green kitchen. You've seen it movies and TV shows and maybe even is some old family photos. The walls are green, the floor is black and white chequered linoleum, the wall phone is turquoise and the curtains are brown (there may or may not be an orange rug on the floor).
The example above harks back to the 50s and 60s. 70s retro is a little more adventurous; the colours are brighter and seem almost to clash on purpose, lava lamps make an appearance and beaded curtains separate rooms instead of doors.
Coral Nafie writes about retro in a way that makes it seem almost reasonable. She says that retro should have a fun, lively feel to it, a sense of flair and should definitely be funky. She shamelessly admits that retro is loud and busy and that furniture should be big and bulky; rather than the more subtle approach of having one piece of furniture as the focal point in a room, all of the furniture in a retro room vies for attention. Avocado green is mentioned as are chequered patterns, tie-dyed fabrics and shag carpeting.
Those who want to venture into retro should bear in mind one important word of caution: too much retro equals kitsch.
Which brings us, rather neatly, to some examples of kitsch décor, and we really are spoilt for choice. Think ceramic pink flamingos on a lawn, porcelain dogs in the living room, three ducks flying across the passage wall, frog-shaped tea pots, stuffed fake alligators (which are only moderately better than stuffed real ones), animal heads on the wall and rooms stuffed full of Raggedy Anne dolls. To really epitomise kitsch, however, you need to get your hands on a poster of Yoda Elvis. Nothing says screams aesthetically deficient like Yoda in an Elvis jumpsuit.
So, on a scale of one to ten, neither styles scores. But if you really have to choose one or the other, pick retro, you'll have more fun and are less likely to be estranged from all your loved ones.
Keen Bison For Sale Korg Xd5 Review Promotions Magda Gerber
No comments:
Post a Comment