Design in California and Mexico, 1915-1985: Found in Translation - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3791356704 ISBN 13: 9783791356709

Publisher: Prestel, 2017

Synopsis

This groundbreaking book looks at the influence California and Mexico have had on each other’s architecture and design in the 20th century. The histories of Mexico and the United States have been intertwined since the 18th century, when both were colonies of European empires. America’s fascination with Mexican culture emerged in the 19th century and continues to this day. In turn, Mexico looked to the U.S. as a model of modernity, its highways and high-rises emblematic of "The American Way of Life." Exploring the design movements that defined both places during the 20th century, this book is arranged into four sections— Spanish Colonial inspiration, Pre-Hispanic Revivals, Folk Art and Craft Traditions, and Modernism. Featured are essays by leading scholars and illustrations of more than 300 works by architects and designers including Richard Neutra, Luis Barragán, Charles and Ray Eames, and Clara Porset. The word translation originally meant "to bring or carry across." The constant migration between California and Mexico has produced cultures of great richness and complexity, while the transfers of people and materials that began with centuries-old trade routes continue to resonate in modern society, creating synergies that are "found in translation."

About this title

About the Author:

Wendy Kaplan is Department Head and Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Review:

"Design in California and Mexico, 1915-1985 edited by Wendy Kaplan, is a catalog of beautiful man-made things – out-side the fine arts – produced in our most populous state and neighboring country during the heart of the previous century. The architecture ranges from revivals of pre-Hispanic and Spanish Colonial styles to great and simple modernist buildings that look like Mies van der Rohe flooded with constant sunshine. Ceramics, furniture and textiles are likewise varied and stunning." -The Wall Street Journal

"In this truly inspired book (which is tied to an ongoing exhibition at LACMA) the deep but too often overlooked connections between Mexico and California in the 20th century are given their due."-The Daily Beast

About this edition

• Publisher: Prestel
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 3791356704
• ISBN 13: 9783791356709
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 360
• Editor: Kaplan Wendy