Sixties Design [Hardcover]

TASCHEN (Creator), Philippe Garner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Architecture & Design | Publication Date: June 15, 2001

A survey of sixties design, analyzing the international design trends of a decade increasingly recognized as one of the most visually exciting.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

During the decade many associate with the Beatles, hippies, and flower power, designers in Europe, Asia, and the Americas were fundamentally rethinking modernist principles. Sixties Design is a documentation and analysis of that era during which belief in modernist design began to crumble. As modernism--the foremost design mode of the 20th century--reached its golden years, it came to be considered by many an autocratic, almost fascistically impersonal movement that strove to raise the standards of large groups by ignoring the peccadilloes of individuals. At the same time, the modern era and its designers are responsible for remarkable innovations that have forever changed the way we live, work, and play. The book captures an interesting moment during which modernism and its refutations began to coexist.

Author Philippe Garner breaks the book up into five sections. In each he addresses a different aspect of the designed '60s, and his insights add dimension to the hundreds of illustrations. He makes connections between the cold war and Jane Fonda's erotic antics in a fur-lined spaceship from the movie Barbarella--with photo-documentation to boot--and he provides a startlingly lucid and economical analysis of Swedish modern furniture design in the context of minimalist principles and the craft revival. From Florence Knoll's office designs to Oscar Niemeyer's unparalleled "master plan" city, Brasilia; from Richard Avedon's fashion photography to Neal Armstrong's space walk, Sixties Design offers countless vistas from which to rethink a decade too long associated with paisleys and free love. --Loren E. Baldwin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, French, German --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: Taschen; Taschen Edition edition (June 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822857823
• ISBN-13: 978-3822857823
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,627,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Completely Excellent!, February 29, 2000

By 

Wally (Effingham, IL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sixties Design (Big Series Art) (Paperback)

I love this book. If you like all things mod, space age and groovy, this book is for you. The author takes an all encompassing look at interior design, textiles, art, furniture, advertising and architecture. Crammed with cool pictures, the majority I had never seen. I also bought Op to Pop, which is also a fantastic book, but I think I like this one better because of its greater scope. I highly recommend this book for any retro-moderne afficiando. A great coffee table book.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Pictures!, September 26, 1998

By 

puffinswan "puffinswan" (Brigadoon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sixties Design (Big Series Art) (Paperback)

Stxties Design is an overview of the major trends that were focused upon in that decade. What it lacks in text is more than made up for by the wonderful photographs. Architecture, fashion, furniture and pop art examples are all vividly displayed. These pictures speak a thousand words.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Sixties full-on, June 16, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sixties Design (Big Series Art) (Paperback)

Has lots of objects and design from the 60's I'd seen before and tons I hadn't. Goes way beyond just the Eames style. Great book.