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Object Timeline

2004

  • Work on this object began.

2006

2007

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2016

2024

  • You found it!

Sidewall, Isobar

This is a sidewall. It was designed by Timorous Beasties. It is dated 2004 and we acquired it in 2007. Its medium is screen print on paper. It is a part of the Wallcoverings department.

Isobar is an excellent example of contemporary British design as well as contemporary wallpaper design in general.
The Glasgow design firm, Timorous Beasties, has been of great interest to both the Textiles and Wallcoverings departments since its founding in 1990. The museum acquired three Timorous Beasties textiles that same year. The founders of the group, Paul Simmons and Alistair MacAuley, met as students of textile design at Glasgow School of Art. As Timorous Beasties, they have consistently produced exceptionally innovative work in the field of surface design. Depicting uncompromisingly contemporary images on traditional textiles and wallpapers, their provocative style was once described as “William Morris on acid.” In 2005, Timorous Beasties was the recipient of the Scottish Style Award for Outstanding Contribution and, in 2006, received the Elle Decoration Award for both Best Textiles and Best Carpet.
Isobar will add another cross-departmental bridge between Textiles and Wallcoverings. Contemporary British papers have been identified as an area of collection focus.

This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Great British design from Glasgow.

This object was donated by Timorous Beasties. It is credited Gift of Timorous Beasties.

  • Textile, Beastiola Stripe
  • Warp x Weft: 314 x 143 cm (10 ft. 3 5/8 in. x 56 5/16 in.) Repeat H: 79 cm....
  • Museum purchase from General Acquisitions Endowment Fund.
  • 1990-164-2

Our curators have highlighted 1 object that are related to this one.

  • Fragment
  • silk, metal-wrapped silk-core yarns.
  • Museum Purchase from Au Panier Fleuri and Smithsonian Institution Collections....
  • 2000-23-1

Its dimensions are

Overall: 251 x 51.5 cm (8 ft. 2 13/16 in. x 20 1/4 in.)

Cite this object as

Sidewall, Isobar; Designed by Timorous Beasties (United Kingdom); Scotland; screen print on paper; Overall: 251 x 51.5 cm (8 ft. 2 13/16 in. x 20 1/4 in.); Gift of Timorous Beasties; 2007-56-2

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Energizing the Everyday: Gifts From the George R. Kravis II Collection.

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian’s Terms of Use page.

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If you would like to cite this object in a Wikipedia article please use the following template:

<ref name=CH>{{cite web |url=https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/objects/18701983/ |title=Sidewall, Isobar |author=Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum |accessdate=20 April 2024 |publisher=Smithsonian Institution}}</ref>