Thoroughly Modern

My friend Penny joined me for a dinner the other night, and working in fashion, she is probably more aware of all that is supposedly "so-hot-right-now" than most, so I am always interested to hear what new language has permeated the hip crowd. A few years ago I noticed the introduction of the word "so" to evoke a sense of extremes, eg. "I'm so not going to be going", and this time around, it's another seemingly innocent word's turn.

"Modern".

Now, normally I'd just dismiss Penny's observations as just another devious marketing technique - I'm sure that there are people employed to think up new & cool ways of using commonplace expressions everyday, but I have a special place for the word modern. I remember as a child in the early seventies, being modern was the epitome of the forward-thinking, new wave that would (hopefully) herald a new age. Man had conquered the moon, Australia had managed to survive the loss of a prime minister, and now were were in the era of Gough & the "It's Time!" concept of change, so being modern didn't just mean buying that burnt orange laminated kitchen setting, it was all about breaking away from the six o'clock swill culture.

I guess that's why I have such a strong affinity with this era of Australian history & culture, as it's what I grew up surrounded by. Not that my parents were Brett Whitley/Richard Neviile/Germaine Greer arty types at all - my family was thoroughly suburban, with a weatherboard house, a Labrador in the backyard, a Holden in the driveway, and Disneyland on the telly every Sunday night in front of the oil heater.

When I first became aware of modernist architecture, it was so far removed from what I imagined my cultural roots to be, that I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I couldn't grasp the idea that amongst the triple-fronted blonde brick houses of my youth, could stand these time-capsules of modernity, which were conceived in the post-war period, and built throughout the fifties and early sixties in the suburbs of Sydney & Melbourne (albeit affluent ones).

All I knew was that I needed to know more, so I started a crusade to learn all that I could about Modernism. Of course the first building I discovered was the "Rose Seidler House", in the Sydney suburb of Wahroonga, with it's flat roof, it's elevated walkway, and large steel windows - it's a landmark dwelling, and one that is thoroughly modern.


Rose Seidler House

Further research led to the discovery of an open day at this Mecca of Modernism, so obviously, I had to visit. But it is so much more than an open day, but an actual fifties fair, with folks dressed in period costume, vendors selling fifties collectables, and even a fashion show & dance contest.



How great I thought, a chance to browse some stalls, tap my toe to some fifties tunes, but best of all, visit the object of my desire. Many emails were circulated, and I managed to gather quite a posse together of like-minded punters, all keen to check it out. A few of us traveled up from Melbourne, and it gave us the chance to catch up with mates from Sydney too, whom were largely ignorant that this event even took place, let alone that the house existed.

What a fabulous day we had, with film crews shooting the event, great food, friendly folks, and some real bargains to be had at the market stalls, with the only negative being the house itself. Now I should explain, the house is fabulous, and has been kept pretty much as Harry Seidler first built it back in the late forties. It had the wonderful stone fireplace, and massive windows, the elevated pathway, and the abstract mural which Seidler painted himself. It was indeed the time capsule that I had hoped for, and I took many photographs to capture the memory.

So what's the negative? The place was crawling with people, and I don't mean crowds, I mean a multitude! What made it worse was that I was competing with people whom seemed oblivious to the significance of the building, and were just there to "have a squizz". Fair enough I guess, but please people, when in a historic house, keep your kids off the furniture! Don't complain that the furnishings are a bit drab, and worst of all, don't get in my frame when I'm taking photos.


The swarms of people

The upshot of all of this is that I will make another pilgrimage to this place another time, but even though it was difficult to get a real feel for the house with all of those people scowering every inch of it, it was well worth the trip.

So people, if you hear someone use the expression "modern" in the coming months, think not "What a tosser!", think of the past.

Let's face it, the Marketers will be finished with the word in a few months, and then we can have it back again...