Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s

“Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s explores the era’s short-lived phenomenon of paper fashion through more than 80 rare garments and accessories crafted from non-woven textiles. These fashions, introduced in 1966 as a promotional campaign for Scott Paper Company, combined bold, graphic design with space-age innovations in materials. Surfacing a little-known chapter in the history of design, Generation Paper illuminates the creative partnerships of craft and commerce in the development of semi-synthetic and synthetic materials.” — MAD

“Before there was fast fashion, there was paper fashion, which ironically was meant to be a demonstration of paper’s potential to behave like woven fabric,” said Elissa Auther, MAD’s Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator. “Women who ordered the patterns and confidently wore paper dresses—as many did!—beautifully ushered in a new wave of cutting-edge material innovation.”

Installation views of Generation Paper: A Fashion Phenom of the 1960s at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York (March 18, 2023 to August 27, 2023). Photos by Jenna Bascom; courtesy the Museum of Arts and Design.

Funk You Too! Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture

“The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) presents the first major museum survey of humor and irreverence in modern and contemporary clay sculpture. On view from March 18–August 27, 2023, Funk You Too! Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture brings together 50 artworks from the 1960s to the present day in which clay is used as a tool for critique and satire. In the exhibition, pieces by artists of the originating Funk art generation will be placed next to work by contemporary artists who are expanding on Funk’s legacy of humor, subversion, and expressive figuration.” — MAD

“Funk You Too! Humor and Irreverence Ceramic Sculpture arrives at a moment when clay as a sculptural medium is receiving unprecedented attention from the art world,” said Elissa Auther, MAD’s Deputy Director of Curatorial Affairs and William and Mildred Lasdon Chief Curator. “Taking advantage of MAD’s significant collection of historical Funk ceramics, Funk You Too! examines the critical contexts that gave rise to the prominence of humor in ceramic sculpture and advocates for the ongoing relevance of Funk ceramics to a new generation of artists.”

Installation views of Funk You Too! Humor and Irreverence in Ceramic Sculpture at the Museum of Arts and Design, New York (March 18, 2023 to August 27, 2023). Photos by Jenna Bascom; courtesy the Museum of Arts and Design.