Dubbed the "Prince of Plastic" by the New York Times, Small led a craze in the late 1960s for sculptural lighting and furniture made from plastic and acrylic. "I like to think of it as all part of the new permissiveness," he commented. "I know that I am being more permissive with myself and the designs I allow myself to makemaking fuller, more sensuous things. People are permitting themselves in every area, whether it's music, with the Beatles and the Stones, architecture or clothes. They are allowing themselves things that please them personally. You don’t have to invest in things forever any more. Lighting is getting to be an art form."

Gallery label from

From the Collection: 1960-69, March 26, 2016 - March 12, 2017.

Manufacturer Neal Small Designs Inc., New York, NY
Medium Acrylic and chrome-plated metal hardware
Dimensions 16 7/8 x 12 x 12 1/4" (42.8 x 30.5 x 31.1 cm)
Credit Gift of the designer
Object number 1226.1968
Department Architecture & Design

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