• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.21-32
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• 2011

This research is intended to study literatures relating to western rocking chairs style in early 20th century in order to provide basic data of designs for rockers of today in Korea and investigate characteristics of rocking chair from academic, formative and pragmatic perspectives. During the first half of 20th century, western rocking chairs (1925~1945) embodied actively the simple functionalism concept that furniture design must follow functionality considerations. Therefore, bare wood rocking chairs were without any surface decoration and tubular steel frame rocking chairs often included black leather upholstery in a bold attempt to express exposed structure. And the fact that tubular steel produced such lightweight furniture was crucial importance. Many Modernist designer created curvaceous lines of new pattern changes in their furniture. The structure of Modern rocking chair became all-important, for stylistic as well as functional reasons. Designers equated exposed structure of tubular steel and wooden frame with integrity and rationality and create an equalitarian style of design. Especially, designers in the early 20th century did use various brilliantly colored upholstery and wooden frame with simple forms of modern characteristics.