Towards Post-Modernism: Decorative Arts and Design Since 1851

Collins, former curator of the Modern Collection at the British Museum, chronicles movements, artists and works of design from 1851 through the present. Beginning with the vital design trends of the late 19th century, the well-written survey documents the arts and crafts movement, art nouveau, pop art and today's post-modernism. The works of British Christopher Dresser, German Peter Behrens, Swiss Le Corbusier and Americans Frank Lloyd Wright, Andy Warhol and Michael Graves and numerous other artists are represented. With intelligent discourse and abundant photographs, which are well integrated with the text, the book also traces through the decades the threads of the design world's long-standing argument over function and decoration. That both the artistic movements and the architecture, furniture and decorative artwork they produced receive equal attention here will make this book valuable to the student and accessible to the lay reader. While deftly handling the vast amount of information, Collins manages an entertaining balance between documentation and explanation. An appendix of bBiographical entries for 120 artists areis included. This volume delights both the eye and the intellect. (April)