Name/Title
Functionalist design : an ongoing historyEntry/Object ID
NK1390.M37 1995Description
In this copiously illustrated volume, George H. Marcus presents a corrective history of functionalism, the aesthetic that defined the course of progressive design in this century, and his work is particularly illuminating with regard to the use of color in architecture and design. Tracing the development of functionalism from Victorian times, Marcus establishes its basis as socially beneficial and without allegiance to style, material, or context. All that changed as the definition of functionalism narrowed and became closely identified with metal furniture, industrial materials, and austerity in the 1930s and was subsequently redefined simply as a modernist style. With the advent of postmodernism, functionalism has been overshadowed, but its classic designs -- the metal furniture of Mies van der Rohe, Le Corbusier, and Marcel Breuer -- are now becoming broadly accessible, fulfilling social goals promoted over a century ago. The proliferation of these designs today, however, belies the difficulties of bringing them into production. Based on his archival research, Marcus documents the history of their manufacture and sheds new light on the creation and dissemination of some of the most important examples of modern design.Lexicon
Search Terms
decorative arts--history--20th century, design--history--20th century, functional design, industrial designBook Details
Author
George MarcusPublisher
PrestelDate Published
1995Call No.
NK1390.M37ISBN
3791314238, 9783791314235Notes
Length: 168