In 1949, the forest magnate H.R. MacMillan opened an exhibition at the
Vancouver Art Gallery entitled "Design for Living," a show that brought
together design and artistic communities to create four imaginary
postwar households. It also heralded an unprecedented level of
cooperation between industry, artists and craftspeople--a relationship
that seemed to hold great promise for the development of art, furniture
and craft.
The celebration of the cooperative spirit between architects, artists
and designers, between potters, weavers and gardeners is central to A
Modern Life, which examines the coming together of what were often very
separate disciplines post-World War II, as well as the trendsetting
design and use of new building and construction materials (like plywood
and cement) and the impact these had on the more traditional art
community.
A Modern Life demonstrates that the ideas of the artistic and design
community as a whole during this vibrant period--an era of optimism and
promise for the future--have a continued relevance and importance for
our understanding of the history of the modern era and the relationship
of the built environment to the extraordinary landscape of British
Columbia.
Includes more than 200 illustrations, including 60 in full color. A
co-publication with the Vancouver Art Gallery.
