Gallery: Early TV Set Designs Were Even Groovier Than Mad Men's
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum01Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American TelevisionMay 1, 2015 – September 20, 2015 The Jewish Museum, New York
A new exhibit at the Jewish Museum in New York looks at modern art's influence on the early days of TV.
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*Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In* comedy variety show, for instance, used design materials influenced by pop art and psychedelic poster art to differentiate itself from other programming.
Courtesy of Courtesy <em>The Ed Sullivan Show</em> © SOFA Entertainment.03Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American TelevisionMay 1, 2015 – September 20, 2015 The Jewish Museum, New York
Set designs took cues from modern art too. The Temptations, here on the Ed Sullivan show, are sitting in pools of colored light and on risers that are influenced by minimalist, abstract art.
© Fremantle Media04Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American TelevisionMay 1, 2015 – September 20, 2015 The Jewish Museum, New York
It went both ways: TV wasn't just influenced by modern art, it was a new platform embraced by actual artists. Salvador Dali even appeared on *What's My Line?*
© Lee Friedlander / Image provided by Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco05Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American TelevisionMay 1, 2015 – September 20, 2015 The Jewish Museum, New York
TV executives at the time were enamored of avant-garde artists, and saw the potential in using mass media to get certain aesthetics or styles in front of the public.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum06Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American TelevisionMay 1, 2015 – September 20, 2015 The Jewish Museum, New York
CBS was especially astute at this. The network's stellar logo—based on a Shaker symbol—ignited an in-house appreciation of design.
© Ezra Stoller / Esto07CBS Television City studio
In the same way that HBO paved the way for today's golden age of TV, CBS was a tastemaker of its time.
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Networks pulled famous designers (like Ben Shahn, whose work is seen here) from the worlds of advertising and magazines. On-air graphics let designers experiment, and the cross-pollination of ideas followed.
Courtesy of the Jewish Museum09Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American TelevisionMay 1, 2015 – September 20, 2015 The Jewish Museum, New York
*Revolution of the Eye: Modern Art and the Birth of American Television* will be open until September 27, 2015.
