Modernism Rediscovered [Paperback]

Pierluigi Serraino (Author), Julius Shulman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Specials | Publication Date: May 30, 2001

A new appreciation for the genius of architectural photographer Julius Shulman has opened the way for hundreds of abandoned masterworks to be rediscovered. The images burned in our memories, which to us represent the spirit of fifties and sixties design, were those widely published in magazines and books; but what about those that were not? The abandoned files of Julius Shulman show us another side of Modernism that has stayed quiet for many years.

The exchange of visual information is crucial to the development, evolution, and promotion of architectural movements. If a building is not widely seen, its photograph rarely or never published, it simply does not enter into architectural discourse. Many buildings photographed by Shulman suffered this fate, their images falling into oblivion. With this new book, Taschen brings them to light, paying homage to California Modernism in all its forms. It's like sneaking into a private history, into homes that have rarely been seen and hardly appreciated as of yet. Bringing together nearly 300 forgotten masterpieces, Modernism Rediscovered breathes eternal life into these outstanding contributions to the modern architectural movement.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Shulman, long considered the premiere photographer of mid-20th-century West Coast Modern architecture, is now hailed as an artist who defined the image of the "good life" for postwar America through his elegant depictions of spare but luxurious International Style dwellings. The publisher extends the Shulman craze with a mesmerizing portfolio of rare architectural photos. For this book, Shulman raided his vast archive to cull over 500 photos, many published only once before, of houses, office buildings, and other structures by talented but lesser-known and forgotten architects. This treasure trove will captivate architecture historians and midcentury Modern design buffs. The serviceable but pedantic text by architect Serraino consists of a dispensable introductory essay and a dry running commentary on each building. Most public libraries should hold either Joseph Rosa's A Constructed View: The Architectural Photography of Julius Shulman (Rizzoli, 1994) or Shulman's autobiographical Julius Shulman: Architecture and Its Photography (Taschen, 1998). Modernism Rediscovered is an excellent addition for academic and specialized architecture collections. David Solt?sz, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, OH
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Shulman’s slick, elegant renderings of buildings amount to an unusual and intriguing look at some of modernism’s less celebrated works. -- Northwest Arkansas Times, 12/24/00

This treasure trove will captivate architecture historians and mid-century modern design buffs. -- Library Journal, March 2001

Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (May 30, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822864153
• ISBN-13: 978-3822864159
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,006,498 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOST MODERNIST GEMS PHOTOGRAPHED BY MASTER PHOTOGRAPHER, January 17, 2001

By 

"natalierinkenbach" (new york) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Modernism Rediscovered (Paperback)

Modernism Rediscovered is not just another book of gorgeous Julius Shulman photographs, but a serious and scholarly attempt to right a wrong done to each of the worthy edifices featured in this book.

To secure an enduring place in the public consciousness a new building must be photographed, and those photographs printed in a variety of publications, both professional and popular. Why do photographs of some buildings get wide exposure and others not? A history-altering book, Modernism Rediscovered explores that conundrum and, at the same time, attempts to redress the omission of these buildings from the public forum.

A fascinating convergence of elements determines which buildings are deemed editorially appealing and which fall through the cracks. Prevailing trends, editorial policy, financial considerations, the photographer's interpretation, and even personal editorial taste all contribute to the selection process and resulting exposure of a building project. Ideally, all these elements coalesce to lend the building and the architect validation and prestige, establishing recognition of the work within the profession and to the general public. As Modernism Rediscovered shows, this has often not been the case.

Now nearly ninety years of age, Julius Shulman granted access to his archives for the first and only time ever to architect Pierluigi Serraino. From this treasure trove of architectural history Serraino selected such underexposed projects as the breathtaking Spencer Residence, a steel cage cantilevered out over the Malibu coastline; the Upton Residence, an Arizona winter retreat combining the lightness of an open glass box anchored by desert stone and concrete; and the C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at Iowa State University featuring steeply cascading balconies jutting out of folded concrete side walls.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reminders of Architecture at Its Best, January 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Modernism Rediscovered (Paperback)

This book is an elegant window back to a magnificent period of residential architecturel. Julius Shulman reminds us of not only his incredible eye for architectural drama, but of the many architects of modernism that invited us to live at the magical boundary between nature and architecture.

This is a wonderful retrospective of many, many talented architects who deserve a closer look at their work and their optimism and clarity of vision.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modernism is King!, December 12, 2007

By 

D. Lynne Rostochil (OKC, OK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Modernism Rediscovered (Paperback)

If you love modern architecture and design, this book is a must-have for your library. The photos are gorgeous (of course), the text is informative, the quality is top notch.

I've got several modern architecture books, and most of the buildings in them are in CA or along the east coast. This is the first book I've seen that includes many buildings from more overlooked parts of the country, such as Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, etc. [In fact, my grandfather was an architect in OK in the 50's, and it was a great surprise to see two of his firm's (Conner and Pojezny) buildings in the book.]

Finally, whenever I'm in the mood to take one of my architecture books off the shelf to look at, it is usually this book I pick up. It's such a fantastic addition to my library that all I'm asking for Xmas is the three-volume follow-up!