Tag Archives: Raygun Gothic

Ceramicist’s shun Dingbats and Raygun Gothic

 

 

Googie_starburst_burger_sign

Starburst dingbat

 

 

Birth of Raygun Gothic

In these testing times with the likes of Korean dictators over-compensating with missile threats, humour is the order of the day. Raygun Gothic and Dingbats, as a 50’s and 60’s architectural style, had a connection to missiles, as the ray-guns had a missile shape and some of the Dingbat features looked like atoms.

The term “Raygun Gothic” was coined by science fiction author William Gibson (who also coined the term “cyberspace” and created the cyberpunk genre) in his short story “The Gernsback Continuum” (1981). Techno-noir* aptly described it as ” retro futurism ” As a style, Raygun Gothic is seen in comics such as Flash Gordon or Buck Rogers and old sci-fi movies such as Metropolis and Forbidden Planet. Mad scientists in huge labs, industrial landscapes, advanced weaponry such as rayguns, rockets and robots. A vintage Sci-Fi look born from a merging of Art Deco and Streamline Moderne.

 

 


Tucson-raygun-gothic garage

Tuscon Raygun Gothic

( Woodland Shoppers Paradise Blogspot )

 

 

Mecca Cafe by AlainLucier

Mecca Cafe by Alain Lucier

 

 

 

Neon Outdoor Theatre Sign

Neon Outdoor Theatre Sign – Jefferson, USA

( waymarking.com-nneuman )

 

 

Most of the architecture styles and design trends have been represented in the ceramic arts. Classical, Baroque, Nouveau, Deco, Abstract Expressionism, Modernist, Futurist, Atomic all had brilliant interpretations that helped to  popularise the forms. However both Dingbat and Raygun Gothic have been generally ignored.  Granted, they were fairly offbeat styles that didn’t really attract the same mass appeal.

I decided to go and search for some examples of this obscure style in ceramics, and I must admit it was a challenge. Even Google search was at sea.  Dingbats and Raygun Gothic are  connected to Googie Architecture, which had a tendency to be flashy and audacious. The original coffee shop known as Googie’s, which gave the movement its name, was designed by John Lautner and opened on LA’s Sunset Strip in 1949.

I only managed to find a few ceramic pieces that faithfully reflected the style , but earlier temple forms of the style came up which widened the scope. I also took the licence to include ray like decorative styles as a representation. I will include more examples  when they turn up.

 

 

Indian bronze head wall sculpture

Raygun Gothic Prophetic

 

 

3-Ceramic-Jars with pagoda style lids

3 ceramic jars – Neil Patterson

 

 

Grundtvig's Church in Denmark

Grundtvig’s Church – Copenhagen, Denmark

Expressionist architecture with a touch of the Raygun Gothic

 

 

 

 

Loetz vase orange and blue glass

Loetz vase

( Treadway Toomeys )

 

 

 

 

spanish-pottery-vase in gold and black

Pair of tall Spanish pottery vases

( 1stdibs )

 

 

Amphora-vase with yellow rose motif

Amphora peace missile vase

 

 

 

 

475px-729px-architecture-photography-22

‘Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía’ in Valencia, Spain

 

 

Austrian-artist-Franz-West

Austrian artist Franz West sculpture

 

 

 

Ceramic spiral vase by Susan .Anderson

Susan Anderson spiral vase

 

 

Dale Chihuly Glass Cadmium Red Venetian with Blue Rings vase

Dale Chihuly – Cadmium Red Venetian with Blue Rings

 

 

dingbat-la-brea-avenue-los-Angeles

 Dingbat architecture – Los Angeles

 

 

Jean Durand-blue and white glass vase

Durand vase

 

Archimedes burning ray reflector

Archimedes burning raygun

The Reunification Monument in Cameroon

The Reunification Monument

Yaounde, Cameroon , Africa

 

 

Mid Century Dingbat-feature

Typical Dingbat starburst wall feature

 

 

rectangular-ceramic-vase

Rectangular ceramic vase

Aboriginal-ceramic-wall-plate.jpg

Australian Aboriginal  ceramic plate

( Raygun Gothic sea turtle ? )

 

 

 

lingaraj-temple-complex

Lingaraj temple complex

 

L.C-Tiffany-humidor - lime green with gold lid

L.C-Tiffany humidor

 

 

 

raygun-cup

Raygun coffee cup

 

 

 

 

righteous-bison-ray-gun

 Righteous Bison Indivisible Particle Smasher Ray Gun

 

 

 

 

 

Jeanette-Harris cream porcelain ray gun

A porcelain raygun by Clay Engineer Jeanette Harris.

 

 

 

 

robj Art Deco female head

Art Deco ceramic head – Robj

 

 

 

Sun_Ra holding a starbusrt dingbat

Jazz musician Sun Ra

 

 

 

teapot-roundabout at Doha

Coffee pot roundabout – Doha

 

 

 

The Singing Ringing Tree in Yorkshire

The Singing Ringing Tree in Yorkshire, UK

 

 

 

 

tower-stella-monument in Iceland

Iceland church

 

 

 

 

Mid Century-funnel-vase-Innes-Olshansky

The funnel vase – Innes Olshansky

 Modernist blunderbuss raygun.

http://fineartamerica.com )

 

 

 

Shewadon Pagoda - Yangon

Shewadon Pagoda – Yangon

 

 

 

 

Red glaze Scheurich vase

Scheurich vase 1960’s

 

 

 

 

phoenix observation tower

Phoenix observation tower – Arizona

Planned for 2015 ( Raygun Gothic resurrection )

 

 

 

 

You Blew Me Away-metal sculpture by Penny Hardy

‘You Blew Me Away’ by Penny Hardy

WALL-PLATE,-RUCNI-RAD-1970Abstract wall plate – Rucni Rad 1970

Michael M Glancy Golden Ascension ceramic vessel

Michael M Glancy – Golden Ascension

Vertical Red rocket lamp

Red rocket lamp

( custommade.com)

475px-714px-Dale-Chihuly,-glass-sculptu

Dale Chihuly, glass sculpture. Lobby of The Atlantis, Dubai.

Kring Kumho Culture Complex

Kring Kumho Culture Complex

( with attachable lenses )

Eileen-Gray-lacquer-lamp

Eileen Gray floor lamp  – 1923

Collection of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Large-Flamenco-Vase--Thomas-Kelly

Large Flamenco Vase  – Thomas Kelly

455px-481px-Walter-McConnell

A Theory Of Everything  – Walter McConnell

Vipoo Srivilasa ceramic head sculpture

Vipoo Srivilasa

 

 

 

Minium-Maximus-by-Rik-Allen

‘Minium Maximus’ by Rik Allen

Habatat Galleries

475px-356px-

A  life-size replica of Tetsujin 28-gō. It measures 18 meters high and weighs over 50 tons.

Wakamatsu Park

Kobe, Japan

Otto Keramik UFO ceramic vessel

Otto Keramik UFO

NY Midtown Manhattan, Rockefeller Center Art Deco facade

Midtown Manhattan, Rockefeller Center

Photo – Rick Stasel

Dan DeCarlo's Jetta

Dan DeCarlo’s Jetta

Graham S Rocket Riding Robo

Graham Shaw –  Rocket Riding Robo

Mid Century Large atom burst wall sculpture

Large star burst wall sculpture

Spring Uprising Tunisia kneeling man confronts troops

Spring Uprising Tunisia… when all else fails use a baguette.

Green Alien with ray gun Andy Titcomb Take Me To Your Leader Teapot - green alien with a raygun

Andy Titcomb ‘Take Me To Your Leader’  Teapot.

Ryugyong_Hotel-N.Korea

Ryugyong Hotel

Green 1951-Buick-LeSabre-Concept

Buick LeSabre Concept Car

1951

Art-Deco---Josef-Hoffman---Rocket-Vase

Josef Hoffman—Art Deco Rocket Vase

Dymaxion house Buckminster Fuller

The Dymaxion house by Buckminster Fuller – Conceived and designed in the late 1920’s for mass production but not actually built until 1945.

Fin-by-Wayne-Young-Photo

Tail Fin – -Photo – Wayne Young

LOETZ-Art-Deco-Vase

Art Deco galss vase – Loetz

Modernist-Polished-Brass-Vases-German-1950's

Modernist German Polished Brass Vases

1950’s

Gouda vase,-double-handled-six-sided-shape-with-colorfully-painted-floral-design

Gouda twin handled, six sided art deco vase

 

 

 

Monumental-Ceramic-Ewer-by-San Polo , Venice

Monumental mosaic ewer – San Polo, Italy

 

 

 

Pascale Proffit quad legged sculpture

Résonances Terrestre-bronze- Pascale Proffit, France

height 65cm

 

 

 

Soviet-rocket-mosaic-mural,-Ulan-Ude-Airport

Soviet rocket mosaic mural,- Ulan Ude Airport

 

 

 

Table-Lamp.-Atomic-retro-rocket-lamp.-Metallic-peridot-and-metal-leaf.-50s

Atomic retro rocket lamp. Metallic peridot and metal leaf.

1950s.

 

 

Tall and interesting metal vase by J. Verschneider depicting Jellyfishes using the Dinanderie technique 1915 Valerio

Art Nouveau metal vase by J. Verschneider depicting Jellyfishes using the Dinanderie technique 1915

Valerio Art Deco

 

 

 

Telstar Predicta Meteor television

Telstar Predicta Meteor television – reproduction of the 50’s TV

 

 

 

 

el-gato-gomez retro atomic space age art

Retro Space Age art by El Gato Gomez

 

 

 

julius-shulman-academy-theater-los-angeles-ca-1940

Academy Theatre – Julius Shulman

LA, 1940

 

flying-suacer-invasion

UFO sighting

 *Sources cited : http://techno-noir.jedi-hobbit.net/scifi/raygun.php