1967
In a 1967 New York Times article titled "New Design, U.S.A.," Barbara Plumb described artist Max Neuhaus as a figure who blurred the lines between functional technology and aesthetic experience, representing a trend toward energy, color, and imagination in modern design. The article highlighted Neuhaus's approach to reimagining musical instruments and sound-producing devices as integrated, technologically sophisticated environments that redefine the "look" of sound, treating sound art as environmental design. You can read the full article in The New York Times archives.
https://www.nytimes.com/1967/04/23/archives/new-design-usa-modern-design-cont.html