Customer Reviews

Twentieth-Century Design (Oxford History of Art)

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

 

 

Since Hesketts "Industrial Design" from 1990, this is the best comprehensive introduction to the "new" Design History view on the parallel histories of design developments in this century.

It takes a relatively non-heroic attitude towards celebrated designers and design classics while trying to locate the meaning of design products in mass culture, lifestyles, corporations and consumption spheres instead of the designers "creative mind.

Each title in the Oxford History of Art series provides an overview to a particular time period, style or movement. This book focuses on 20th century design, including the design of interiors, furniture, textiles, graphics, and consumer goods from teapots to automobiles. The author describes the historical context at the beginning of the 20th century, as the industrial revolution changed the way things were made and used. He traces the development of different styles, from Arts & Crafts to post-modernism. A final chapter on social responsibility traces the ways in which designers have responded to consumer concerns throughout the century.

This book is generously illustrated, with many color images complementing the period black-and-white photographs and line drawings. It is a sturdy paperback with a strong binding. It would be useful to undergraduate students researching 20th century design, as well as general readers interested in the subject.

I love the book. It's full of usefull Knowledge and information.
I recieved the book in great conditions