Modernist furniture history books

The last 20 years has seen an explosion of work on literary modernism and its cultural and historical contexts. Postworld war ii ideals of cutting excess, commodification, and practicality of materials in design heavily influenced the aesthetic of the furniture. Although carving and inlays were used, furniture was not overdecorated. You had to assert your creed, your vision of the world, and youd carry it out in all your work. This abundantly illustrated monograph tells the story of modern furniture in czechoslovakia and the bohemianmoravian highlands, from the first half of the nineteenth century the biedermeier period to the late twentieth century. From cozy sectionals that work well for big gettogethers to beds that invite you for a good nights sleep after a long day, when you want to add modern, contemporary flair to your living space, west elm has a wealth of items to enliven your space. Modernist bread is a book for anyone who is passionate and curious about bread, whether they are a professional baker, restaurant chef, home baker or cook, industry expert, scientist, or foodie. Oct 19, 2019 g plan appeals because of the tonal palette, but also because of the history and the possibility of exposing the veneer and mass production of each piece. Modernist design was able to strip down decorative elements and focus on the design of the object in order to save time, money, material, and labour. Modern furniture presents a retrospective of the most important developments and highlights in. Twice a year, the editors at metropolis gather the most exciting books in one place for your convenience.

The history of knoll is the history of modern design. I particularly enjoy the imagists in poetry, theatre of the absurd and the southern modernists well. This site is a tribute to the midcentury modern movement as both a historical milestone and a living ideal, reflected in todays best furniture, architecture, and design. An english artist uses modernist furniture as a medium for. Jul 01, 2019 whether youre looking to learn more about mcm, beef up your coffee table books, or are in need of a gift for a friend who loves midcentury modern design or knows squat about it, here are 15 books everyone can appreciate. Midcentury modern mcm is the design movement in interior, product, graphic design, architecture, and urban development that became popular after wwii in 1945 and continued until the late 1970s.

The greek history of furniture can be traced back to the heritage of egyptian furniture, evolving into softer lines, subtle and elegant curves, and more attention was given to comfort. Furniture of the 1950s random house, celebrating the style that is now recognized by scholars and museums worldwide as a significant design movement. Modernist manifestos tended to be very uncompromising. Visit angelucci 20th century get updates on articles, interviews, and events. Explore the evolution of english furniture in the 20th century. These artists advocated a move away from modernist styles to a more straightforward naturalism. She is on the faculty of the new york school of interior design, has taught at pratt institute and fit, and. It fostered a period of experimentation in literature, music, dance, visual art, and architecture. This book outlines his work and highlights his trademark glass walls and concrete overhangs that blend indoor and outdoor surroundings. Renaissance furniture reflected a renewed interest in the arts by the wealthy, with ornate carving on chairs, table legs, and cabinets adorned with figurines. Today, we see eames pervasive legacy in everything from the set of mad men to the pages of design history books to. Two new books delve deep into midcentury danish design.

I started this list in order to learn of other modernist writers that i wasnt already aware of, so youve certainly helped there. The transition period between modernism and postmodernism happened throughout the 1960s. It was a tremendous departure from all furniture design that had gone before it. Charles and ray eames are among the most influential american designers in history, whose contributions to modernist architecture and furniture, as well as graphic design, fine art and film, shaped the american aesthetic for decades to come. I am a collector and admirer of modern design and the sourcebook really blew my mind. I have an extensive reference library of books and auction catalogs showcasing modern furniture but i find myself going back to this book over and over again. Until recently, the word modern was used to refer generically to the contemporaneous. It was also known as international modernism or international style, after an exhibition of modernist architecture in america in 1932 by the architect philip johnson. Postmodern design complete beautiful illustrated books.

It was associated with an analytical approach to the function of buildings, a strictly rational use of often new materials, structural innovation and the elimination of ornament. The best books on modernism five books expert recommendations. Making good bread is both an art and a sciencemodernist bread is a 2,642page celebration of that and more, including breads future. Coronavirus books jenny davidson on the best books to read in quarantine. Jul 09, 2019 for this post, i thought i would put together an exhaustive list of the the best architecture books. The furniture designs found on this website are from modernism movement spanning in time from 1918 to 1970. The company decided to reissue pieces from the herman miller archive. We write about midcentury and contemporary architecture that represents modernist values as we believe that good architecture must be accessible to everyone and speak to people. It is also considered a philosophy of furniture design. With the machine aesthetic, modern furniture easily came to promote factory modules, which emphasized the timemanaging, efficient ideals of the period.

Book cover of daniela karasova the history of modern furniture design. A history of seating takes the reader on a journey through a sea of. Published by arbor vitaemuseum of decorative arts prague. Midcentury modern architecture, together with inspiring and enjoyable midcentury houses, is our focus. Post modern art has since become less defined by the form the art.

By 1930 art deco furniture had reached the usa, and stores were filling with a more modernist style of furniture with a streamlined look. Scottish designer charles rennie mackintosh was one of the major artists preceding the modernist movement. There are five things you should know about the mid century modern furniture style, including where to buy and how to use it in your home. Explore modern history an english inspired collection of contemporary and traditional furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and more. Judith gura is a design historian and author whose books include guide to period styles for interiors, a history of interior design coauthor, design after modernism. Vitras massive new book is a treasure trove of furniture design history. To raise the profile of midcentury design and modernist principles in australia. From a to eames a visual guide to midcentury modern design. A modernist universe is a history of all things knoll the founders, the company, the furniture. Modernist cuisine gallery offers largescale, limitededition artwork by nathan myhrvold. The word modern often makes us think about the present or recent years, but sometimes it actually refers to the past. The history of knoll is the history of midcentury modern design. George nelson is a world renowned industrial designer. Modernist ideals pervaded art, architecture, literature, religious faith, philosophy, social organization, activities of daily life, and even the sciences.

It was the first readily available modernist furniture in the uk, and it became a staple of british households. Vintage european design and bespoke furniture 1945 1975. The 86 best furniture design books recommended by nate berkus, such as spruce. Complete with specially commissioned essays by established academics and subject specialists, and with over 600 illustrations, the majority in colour, modernist design complete is set to become the definitive reference for a generation, indispensible for the designers studio, the library shelves or the collectors desk. Art nouveau furniture is structured according to the whole building and made part of ordinary life. Throughout the 20th century, furniture became more than just a practical form. Modernism, in the fine arts, late 19th to mid20th century, a break with the past and the concurrent search for new forms of expression. Celebrating australian mcm homes modernist australia. She also wrote two books on ceramics and was an authority on art deco and modernist ceramics. Lavish photos and descriptions, with lots of detail about the item, its designer, and its distribution. Modern history british furniture contemporary furniture. Times of disease and pestilence have much to tell us about the human condition. To get a handle on midcentury modernist furniture and design, it helps to understand what led the movement and who the leading designers were.

A type of chest known as the hutch could be used for. Mar 24, 2020 modernism, in the fine arts, late 19th to mid20th century, a break with the past and the concurrent search for new forms of expression. The term, employed as a style descriptor as early as the mid1950s, was reaffirmed in 1983 by cara greenberg in the title of her book, midcentury modern. Most people refer to this subset of furniture as modern classics, as they are iconic pieces conceptualized by some of the greatest designers in the history of furniture. Particular attention is devoted to the most distinguished artistsdesigners, as well as to the stories of furniture manufacturers and institutions. Sourcebook of modern furniture third edition habegger, jerryll, osman, joseph h. Pop art was obsessed with the fruits of capitalism and popular. Greek furniture styles were simple, elegant and tasteful. In this lesson, learn about art nouveau, edwardian, art deco and other styles that developed in the last century and examine the. Modern furniture refers to furniture produced from the late 19th century through the present that is influenced by modernism.

In this innovative study aimed at a general audience, tim armstrong seeks to define modernism not only by its aesthetics and literary genres but also by its links with broader cultural areas in which the modern is implicated and debated, and which inform its representational modes. Jul 16, 2019 twice a year, the editors at metropolis gather the most exciting books in one place for your convenience. A list of 11 new furniture design books you should read in 2020, such as kem. G plan appeals because of the tonal palette, but also because of the history and the possibility of exposing the veneer and mass production of each piece. Founded in 1938 by hans knoll and joined by his wife, florence knoll, the company is. Through the careful and creative eye of a few leading designers, furniture would be inspired by architectural ideas and shaped to become a form of art. Vitras massive new book is a treasure trove of furniture. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the modern history of furniture in this region against the backdrop of significant developments in the field worldwide. Furniture and interiors, 19702010, and sourcebook of scandinavian furniture. Midcentury provides inspiration to those who love mid century modern furniture, interiors and architecture, and equips them with the knowhow to buy right.

Writer and art historian cara greenberg coined the phrase midcentury modern in 1984 it was the title of her seminal book about what has. Modernism was an artistic movement that started in. Donald deskey, who designed the interior of radio city hall, created hundreds of accessible furniture designs for department stores which made their way into the homes of ordinary people. A global view covers the major historical movements in furniture design from prehistoric periods through contemporary times and includes parts of the world that traditional history books ignore or underserve, such as africa and china. A brief history of midcentury modern furniture design another.

Whether you are an architectural professional or student you should find many of these resources a welcome addition to your home or office library. Evidence of furniture survives from as far back as the neolithic period in the form of paintings, wall murals discovered at pompeii, in sculpture and examples have also been excavated in egyptian pyramids and found in tombs in ghiordes modern day turkey. Cristina grajales, a manhattan dealer in modernist furniture and the former director of the furniture gallery. Why the world is obsessed with midcentury modern design curbed. Jun 17, 2005 the last 20 years has seen an explosion of work on literary modernism and its cultural and historical contexts. His combination of interior and exterior designs made him one of the most renowned american architects in history. Furniture design has been a part of the human experience since the beginning of history.

Heres our rundown of the 15 most iconic pieces of design from that era. He was director of design for herman miller furniture company both nelson, and his design studio, george nelson associates, inc. In his il libro dellarte translated as the craftsmans handbook written in the early 15th century, the italian writer and painter cennino cennini explains that giotto made painting modern see bibliography. The author reveals how celebrated midcentury modern chair designs by danish icons took inspiration from history and abroad. Thanks for adding to the list its nice to meet another person who appreciates modernist literature. And once again, our selection is a testament to the design worlds expansive purview and deep history. In this innovative study aimed at a general audience, tim armstrong seeks to define modernism not only by its aesthetics and literary genres but also by its links with broader cultural areas in which the modern is implicated and debated, and which. The ultimate resource for any baker, its pages are packed with new discoveries, insights, innovative techniques, and recipes for breads from around the world. The image becomes abstract, but is evocative of specific styles of modernist painting. At over pages, vitras atlas of furniture design will test the integrity. The culmination of over four years of nonstop research, photography, experiments, writing, and baking, modernist bread isnt just about new recipes, thoughits about the way we think of bread from the ground up. Jenny davidson, professor of english and comparative literature at columbia university, suggests some of the best books to read if youre selfisolating or in quarantine. Not your runofthemill oldtimey classic of modest proportions but rather an epic legacy work by notable midcentury architect john adam, set.

Apr 09, 2004 the enthusiasm for perriands work has been growing for years in the united states. The enthusiasm for perriands work has been growing for years in the united states. Fill your home with furniture that brings you comfort as soon as you walk in the door. The first gallery in the world dedicated to food photography by a single artist, modernist cuisine gallery features brandnew images that cant be found anywhere else, alongside some of the most iconic photographs from the modernist cuisine books. In this lesson, learn about art nouveau, edwardian, art deco and other styles that. The 10 best modernist books in english publishers weekly. Five books aims to keep its book recommendations and interviews up to date. The definitive guide to modern furniture, interiors and architecture. Learn more about the history of modernism and its various manifestations.