Customer Reviews

Harley Earl and the Dream Machine

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have the 1983 Hardcover/128pages,Harley Earl And The Dream Machine by Stephen Bayley is sadly the only book so far that I am aware of on The Man. A Legend, The way the British Author Treats America,American Tastes and uses artsyfartsy comparisons and words that make no sense,for example he compares at one time the way GM worked with Karl Marx?(Huh?) at another time he says GM's "Darwinist" in it's approach to vehicle lines? Again another Huh? The only thing that offsets the disdain the Snob Author has for American Tastes are the Cars in the Colorful Art by Phillip Castle(A couple pages) and some color photos the remainder being black and white,and some jabs in there sometimes subtle sometimes not,it is interesting it touches on Harley Earl And Associates(Later Ford And Earl) contribution(short chapter)concerning Ban Deodorant,Airplane Interiors and A Plumbers showroom(Not Pictued),it is a very brief chapter.
The only reason I purchased the Book was because Of Harley Earl despite not having even been born, I wonder what the author's take on Bill Mitchell is? and I wonder why did he bother to do the book with such bias? Hopefully someone will do Mr.Earl Justice.

Through his work at General Motors at the height of American optimism and the car culture, Harley Earl was one of the most influential designers of all time. Depending on your taste, his team was responsible for some of the most garish or beautiful (or sometimes both) rolling objects the world has ever seen. The text is very good but the photos and illustrations are spectacular. I recommend this book for car fans and lovers of the "Populuxe" era of design. The super slick and somewhat clinical airbrush illustrations will stir a little 1980s nostalgia in you too.