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American Design in the Twentieth Century

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Votolato's book, American Design in the Twentieth Century is not only a sophisticated and insightful treatise on the evolution of design here in the USA during our recently retired century, but a work which reveals ourselves to ourselves as Americans--a difficult task to accomplish, as American identity has passed through the patriotism of the early 1900s; to the self-criticism and cynicism of the generation growing up in the aftermath of World War II; to the multifarious madness and disillusionment of the present. Who are we, where are we now? In this book, the links of American design to popular culture through the lens of politics, aesthetics, commercialism, consumerism, philosophy . . . form a long series of corridors which illuminate the nature of American-ness. The journey is abstracted, humorous, and ultimately extremely kind. Material culture seems to reveal so much about its creators, in ways that the makers perhaps never intended. It takes an American living away from their own country, like the author, to draw multiple readings of popular culture with such a clear, elegant lines. Design theory is not my first language--I am a folklorist--but I was delighted with the straightforward explanations of difficult concepts such as postmodernism, structuralism, semiotics . . . that demystified academic speak and turned the ideas into tools for understanding. Votolato's book certainly has value for readers from other disciplines--American studies, history, literature, sociology for example--and for sharp readers outside the "academy" who wish to deepen their awareness of design and artfulness in their daily lives.

American Design in the Twentieth Century, Gregory Votolato, Manchester University Press, 1998. ISBN 0 7190 4531 2

This fascinating book will appeal to anyone with an interest in art and design history, social history or American culture. It explores the role of designers and designed objects within twentieth century America, but it is not simply another anthology of 'design classics' - it examines the role of all kinds of designed objects from the elevated to the everyday.

The book is divided into three sections. The first and the longest explores issues of American style and design. I found the chapters in this section on `American taste and style: beyond the cringe', `Utopia and the Mall: theories and movements' and `Designers and Makers' particularly interesting. `American taste and style' looks at the development of an independent American taste and style as American culture gradually broke free from its dependence on European endorsement. The chapter on Theories and Movements explores some of the inherent contradictions in American taste and style: both forward and backward looking; classless, yet concerned with status; diverse yet homogenised. `Designers and Makers' traces the development of the design profession, and demystifies the concept of the designer as an inspired artist. These chapters are thematic rather than chronological in nature which enables the reader to grasp the sheer diversity of design in twentieth century America.

The second section consists of four case studies: `Postmodernism', `The Custom Car Myth', `Domestic Architecture and Interiors', and `Identity and Utility in American Fashion'. These discuss in more detail the themes of the previous section in relation to specific types of objects. The chapters on the Custom Car and Fashion, in particular explore the reactions of the American people to increasing mass production. Despite reliance on professionally designed, mass produced goods, the personalisation of objects and interiors has become a significant element of design in America. This book is as much about design by ordinary people through customisation and DIY, as it is about professionally designed goods. This is expressed by another apparent contradiction inherent in American culture: everyone is 'in pursuit of the unique example of a standard product' (p246).

The third and final section looks at `Critical Approaches to Design', and would make an extremely useful introduction to any student of art or design history. The history of art and design have traditionally been rather Euro-centred - this book redresses the balance and is well worth reading.

A treat for anyone interested in the physical manifestations of social history. The book talks about the relationship between a culture (North American) and the objects which it values. It is deeply researched and wide-ranging in its scope, forging links between architecture, industrial design, fashion, film, social practices and histories. A great pleasure of the author's approach is the variety of scales at which he considers his topic, from the scale of a cigarette lighter or a haircut up to the scale of buildings and their interiors. Recommended for designers in all fields, and anyone who enjoys looking at the world.