Containing some of the most spectacular colour
photographs of furniture ever published, this stunning
book presents a complete visual history of furniture
design since the end of the Second World War. It begins
in 1945 with such achievements as the highly sculptural
plywood chairs of Charles and Ray Eames, who were among
the first to use organic shapes derived from the natural
world. Revolutionary 1950s designs, including Harry
Bertoia's wire Diamond chairs - 'studies in space, form
and metal' - and Eero Saarinen's futuristic Pedestal
Group, were followed in the late 1950s by the rise of
consumerism - and the eccentricities of kitsch - which
in turn gave way in the 1960s to the explosion of Pop
culture. The following decades were equally rich, with
the development of Counter Design by Ettore Sottsass,
the factory lights and scaffolding supports of
High-Tech, the Craft Revival, Art Furniture, Ergonomic
styling, and much else, with each trend continuing to
show intriguing national and regional differences.
Concluding with the best of current design, this
fascinating survey has been since its first publication
the standard work on the furniture of the entire
period.Every piece included is able to stand for all
time as a classic work of design. Illustrated with over
140 colour reproductions, all accompanied by detailed
descriptions, the whole is completed by a comprehensive
reference section, providing detailed designer
biographies, a bibliography, a list of retail outlets
and museums, and advice on collecting. |
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