More than 140 illustrated biographical profiles map the innovative
modern California design community.
Mid-twentieth-century California offered fertile ground for design
innovations. The state's reputation as a land of unlimited opportunity,
its many institutions of higher learning, and its perpetually booming
population created conditions that allowed designers and craftspeople to
flourish. They found an eager market among educated and newly affluent
Californians, and their products shaped the material culture of the
entire nation. This book, a companion to the popular 2011 MIT
Press/LACMA publication California Design, 1930-1965: "Living in a
Modern Way," reveals the complex web of influences, collaborations,
institutional affiliations, and social networks that fueled the
California design economy.
This book offers more than 140 illustrated biographical profiles of the
most significant mid-century California designers, including such famous
names as Saul Bass and Charles and Ray Eames as well as many lesser
known but influential practitioners. These designers, craftspeople, and
manufacturers worked in the full range of design media, creating
furniture, fashion, textiles, jewelry, ceramics, and graphic and
industrial design. Each entry includes a succinct biography, a portrait
of the designer or image of an important design, cross-references to
other entries, and a list of sources for further research. Significant
examples of California design and craft objects are featured in more
than 180 illustrations and rare photographs.
Created by internationally renowned graphic designer Irma Boom, the book
is a beautifully crafted object in its own right. It will become an
indispensable resource for all those interested in modern design.
