Oriental Interiors: Design, Identity, Space

Description

Since the publication of Edward Said's groundbreaking work Orientalism 35 years ago, numerous studies have explored the West's fraught and enduring fascination with the so-called Orient. Focusing their critical attention on the literary and pictorial arts, these studies have, to date, largely neglected the world of interior design. Oriental Interiors is the first book to fully explore the formation and perception of eastern-inspired interiors from an orientalist perspective. Orientalist spaces in the West have taken numerous forms since the 18th century to the present day, and the fifteen chapters in this collection reflect that diversity, dealing with subjects as varied and engaging as harems, Turkish baths on RMS Titanic, Parisian bachelor quarters, potted palms, and contemporary yoga studios. It explores how furnishings, surface treatments, ornament and music, for example, are deployed to enhance the exoticism and pleasures of oriental spaces, looking across a range of international locations. Organized into three parts, each introduced by the editor, the essays are grouped by theme to highlight critical paths into the intersections between orientalist studies, spatial theory, design studies, visual culture and gender studies, making this essential reading for students and researchers alike.

John Potvin is Associate Professor in the Department of Art History at Concordia University, Canada, where he teaches on the intersections of art, interior design and fashion.

This is the first book to fully explore the formation and perception of Eastern-influenced interiors. Potvin (Concordia Univ., Montreal) divides the essays into three parts: "Modes of Display and Representation," "Gendered and Sexual Identities," and "Spaces and Markets of Consumption." Highlighting design influences such as spatial arrangement, visual culture, gender, and design theory, the 13 essays look at furnishings, ornaments, and other components as they assist to create Oriental interiors. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. * CHOICE * This engaging collection of fifteen essays breaks new ground in the study of the neglected subject of the interior in relation to Orientalism, covering a range of examples from the 18th century to the present day, by scholars of art, architecture, film, literature, decorative arts and furniture and theatre design. * Louisa Iarocci, Associate Professor of Architecture, University of Washington, USA * Oriental Interiors is a splendid collection of essays that take the reader on a journey through the visual, material and ideological aspects of its topic. The book explores the myriad ramifications of the concept of 'oriental interiors' and demonstrates that it is far more than style, being a complex mix of commerce, politics and consumption practices. * Clive Edwards, Emeritus Professor of Design History, Loughborough University, UK *