Modern Americana: Studio Furniture From High Craft to High Glam - Hardcover

Iovine, Julie; Merrill, Todd

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0847830535 ISBN 13: 9780847830534

Publisher: Rizzoli, 2008

Synopsis

In the current world of twentieth-century design collecting, the trend has shifted away from accessible, mass-manufactured modernist furniture and toward designs that were custom-made or produced in very limited editions, with emphasis on American studio design of the 1940s to the 1990s. In contrast to the mass-produced mid-century furniture by Knoll and Herman Miller, American studio designs of the same period focused on novel forms and exquisite craftsmanship. Ranging from the organic shapes of George Nakashima and Vladimir Kagan to metalworks by Paul Evans, these limited production designs were highly sought after in their days by original tastemakers and movie stars. In the last decade, a revival for these rare designs began with connoisseurs such as Tom Ford. Modern Americana is the first full survey of the designs of this prolific but forgotten period, bringing to life again the works of Samuel Marx, Billy Haines, Wendell Castle, T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Karl Springer, James Mont, and many others -- including J.B. Blunk, Michael Coffey, Wharton Esherick, Arthur Espenet Carpenter, Sam Maloof, Jack Rogers Hopkins, Paul Evans & Philip Lloyd Powell, Vladimir Kagan, George Nakashima, Silas Seandel, Charles Hollis Jones, Philip & Kevin LaVerne, Tommi Parzinger, Harvey Probber, Edward Wormley, John Dickinson, Arthur Elrod, and Paul Laszlo.

About this title

About the Author:

Todd Merrill is the proprietor of Todd Merrill Antiques in New York City, one of the premier galleries for limited-edition furniture designs. He was the head of communications at Christie’s from 1993–1994. Julie Iovine is the executive editor of The Architect’s Newspaper and was a regular contributor to the New York Times’ House and Home and Style sections.

Review:

"For serious collectors of midcentury American design, this information, along with the book's finely drawn profiles, makes Modern Americana a must-have." ~Art + Auction

"Todd Merrill and Julie V. Iovine revel in the revival of Modern Americana." ~Vanity Fair

"Exclusive furniture pieces from Wendell Castle, James Mont and others from the 1940s through the 1990s have become must-have items for today's modern collector, and this book revives all of the classic designs. ~Home & Design

"Twentieth-century design specialist Todd Merrill salutes Modernism's master furniture-makers..." ~New York Spaces

"This richly illustrated book not only covers the facts, it places artists within a social history that gives context to their lives and creations." ~AmericanStyle

“Modern Americana is valuable as well as entertaining for its abundant illustrations–images of the designers, their furniture, sketches and drawings and, most important to convey period ambience, the interiors featuring their work.” ~American Craft Magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Rizzoli
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0847830535
• ISBN 13: 9780847830534
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 272