The Art of American Car Design: The Profession and Personalities : "Not Simple Like Simon" [Hardcover]

C. Edson Armi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1989

Americans have come to take the car for granted. Buying, driving, and keeping up our cars are simple facts of modern life. Those who don t own cars can hardly escape them since they are perhaps the most ubiquitous and arguably the most dominant visual form of our century. But how often do we look at them as art objects? Among the least analyzed and understood of the commercial arts, the American car continues to be one of our most significant and creative contributions to the history of design.Cars have shaped America like no other visual form, except perhaps the movies. Today, however, the movies are acknowledged as a legitimate art form. Surely it is time that cars were taken more seriously. And yet, how can we? Basic questions remain unanswered: How is a car created? How is the idea for a car conceived, how does it develop into a design, and how does the design become a finished product? Does the design process affect the ultimate appearance of the car, and if so, how? Answering these questions will help us begin to see cars as works of art. The questions throw a spotlight on the role played by artistic creativity within the automotive industry; the answers reveal the unique form it has taken.This book presents the first in-depth analysis of the car design profession in this country. It includes the first series of interviews with America s great car designers and the first to approach them and their discipline from an art-historical perspective. In fact, this is the first time the actual process of designing cars has been seriously studied, and where the personalities of the car designers have been explored with an eye on the effect of those personalities on the process of creation. This book will appeal to all with an interest in the American car: the consumer, the designer, the members of UAW, the auto executive, the advertising executive, and the art historian.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

C. Edson Armi is Professor of Art History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is the author of Masons and Sculptors in Romanesque Burgundy: The New Aesthetic of Cluny III, the winner of the 1983 C.I.N.O.A. Art History Prize.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Pennsylvania State Univ Pr (Txt) (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0271004797
• ISBN-13: 978-0271004792
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,186,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent insight into the nuances of GM design, October 15, 1999

By 

R. Herriott "casalingua" (Denmark) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of American Car Design: The Profession and Personalities : "Not Simple Like Simon" (Hardcover)

This book rewards repeated reading. The interviews with GM designers such as Bill Mitchell and Bill Porter are encrusted with myriad design nuggets. In particular, Armi's analysis of Bill Porter's work, and the interview with this senior GM designer show a depth of understanding not normally associated with auto design. Porter's language shows the way towards are more mature and reasoned approach to the art of car design and the methods and techniques to achieve the desired end. Anyone fascinated with the sludge years (the early to mid eighties) at GM will also come away enlightened. Of course, to enjoy this book, a professional interest in car design is a help, but especially for students, this book is a must.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite everything you want to know about car design., March 9, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (NYC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of American Car Design: The Profession and Personalities : "Not Simple Like Simon" (Hardcover)

This book should have been better. Though the author doesn't seem to know it, his perspective is overly slanted to GM/ Harley Earl mindset. The writing itself will only hokd the interest of the most dedicated, and GM fixated readers. If you're looking for solid info on Ford designtriumphs--the '60 Lincoln Continental/ or Mark II, Mustangs, the late 60's T-Birds, you'll be disappointed. Chrysler is similarly glanced over. The interviews are good, but tighter editing would have been appreciated.