Design History Beyond the Canon

Description

Design History Beyond the Canon subverts hierarchies of taste which have dominated traditional narratives of design history. The book explores a diverse selection of objects, spaces and media, ranging from high design to mass-produced and mass-marketed objects, as well as counter-cultural and sub-cultural material. The authors' research highlights the often marginalised role of gender and racial identity in the production and consumption of design, the politics which underpins design practice and the role of designed objects as pathways of nostalgia and cultural memory. While focused primarily on North American examples from the early 20th century onwards, this collection also features essays examining European and Soviet design history, as well as the influence of Asia and Africa on Western design practice. The book is organised in three thematic sections: Consumers, Intermediaries and Designers. The first section analyses a range of designed objects and spaces through the experiences and perspectives of users. The second section considers intermediaries from both technology and cultural industries, as well as the hidden labour within the design process itself. The final section focuses on designers from multiple design disciplines including high fashion, industrial design, interior design, graphic design and design history pedagogy. The essays in all three sections utilise different research methods and a wide range of theoretical approaches, including feminist theory, critical race theory, spatial theory, material culture studies, science and technology studies and art history. Design History Beyond the Canon brings together the most recent research which stretches beyond the traditional canon and looks to interdisciplinary methodologies to better understand the practice and consumption of design.

Jennifer Kaufmann-Buhler is Assistant Professor of Design History at Purdue University, USA. Victoria Rose Pass is Assistant Professor of Art History at Salisbury University, USA. Christopher Wilson is Lecturer of Architecture and Design Historian at Ringling College of Art and Design, USA.

[An] exciting anthology ... [It] challenges us to critique the concept of a canon in our teaching narratives and selected research projects, and also to critique the canonical methods that have shaped the field of design history to date. * Design and Culture * Questioning the existing limitations of sole geniuses and conventional art histories, Design History Beyond the Canon is an appealing resource for design academics and students alike. * Journal of Design History * Design History Beyond the Canon would make a great addition to a design library. It is recommended for scholars in the field of design history in the United States who are teaching introductory courses but who also might be developing upper-level curriculum for design students. The essays are also suitable for and accessible to students in the field of design history. * ARLIS/NA Reviews * The chapters within the volume are all of an excellent standard, well researched and well written with new things to say about the subject. * Anne Massey, Visiting Professor of Design at Richmond, the American International University in London, UK * As someone who approaches design as an inherently interdisciplinary practice, I find that this book would be a meaningful addition to a modestly covered subject area in much need of critical discourse. This is an impressive edited volume. * Amir Berbic, Professor and Chair of Graphic Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA * This is a useful, diverse collection and an interesting snap-shot of design history research in the US now. * Harriet Atkinson, Senior Lecturer in Design History at the University of Brighton, UK *