If new postwar technologies allowed for new aesthetics, Panton's chair must be seen as one of the most extraordinary examples. It marks the first instance in which both technique and material define appearance: injection-molded plastic allows for a single-material, single-form chair. Decorative effect is achieved through the sculptural quality and the use of vivid color (the plastic could be dyed almost any color). Easy to mass produce and inexpensive (the chair originally sold for $75), these stacking chairs typify the 1960s populist approach to furniture design.

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