Jean Prouve : Compact Design Portfolio

Contemporary design used to be an elitist subject. Despite the crusading populist idealism of the early Modernists, it never catapulted to the masses. Until now. Each book in the Design Briefs series contains short essays, penned by stylish writers with real knowledge and fresh enthusiasm on the subject. The essays address the designer's life, work, and influence, and are followed by numerous pages of illustrations for ongoing reference. Design Briefs: Jean Prouve features an innovative engineer, architect and builder who came into contact with new artistic movements early on in life: with Emile Galle, his father Victor founded the Nancy school that became a focal point of Art Nouveau. In his early career, he worked much in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles, but he soon turned to industrial production. Using newly discovered materials, such as steel sections, he produced chairs, school furniture, desks, and beds. His philosophy consisted of always using the newest materials and latest techniques, whether designing an armchair or gas station.

Penelope Rowlands has written for several magazines, including Architectural Digest and Vogue, and her work has also appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle. She lives in Northern California. Penelope is also the author of Weekend Houses (0-8118-2543-4).

Raul Cabra is the principal of Cabra Diseno, a San Francisco design firm.

Marisa Bartolucci is former executive editor of Metropolis magazine and the author of several critically acclaimed design books. She lives in New York City.