Customer Reviews

George Nelson: Compact Design Portfolio

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For those who are just starting to find out who George Nelson, the designer, was, this is a very good start.
George Nelson was not only a creative artistic talent, he was also a commercial genius (just like Picasso was). These two talents provided his secret for success that would reward him throughout his life. This book documents some of his most famous creations. This is not a huge book but it gives a good impression of his most celebrated icons. I also suggest to visit the wonderful online archive about George Nelson at WWW.GEORGENELSON.ORG.

I guess I'm spoiled by the internet age media. For a design book, I felt the illustrations to be dated (because it is dated). Of course, my impressions would be different if I found the designs more compelling. Instead, I found many of the furniture designs and color schemes to be childish, non-functional, and in short, somewhat kitsch. They struck me as immature or incomplete attempts to render the spirit of Bauhaus movement and De Stijl coloring. All of this may be forgivable, if there was a solid text to go with the illustrations that explain the philosophy behind the design. But, beyond the introduction, this, too, is lacking.

However, the book is a neat little tome - could make a good miniature coffee table gift.

This is a great little book. It has some amazing comtemporary furniture designed by George Nelson.

George Nelson is far more than an architect or an industrial designer although he designed homes and products. His unique contribution is that he thought about the fundamental nature of living in a designed environment.