Eighty years after it was first identified as a movement, our fascination with mid-century modern design (MCM) is stronger than ever before. Celebrating the philosophy of function over ornament, emphasising accessible, thoughtfully crafted products that improved everyday life, it was a period when design as a profession came into its own.
Attractive, versatile and with a staying power; the designs of this period are good for small spaces (which makes sense in today’s increasingly urban population), the shapes are classic, and the styles go with almost everything. This suggests that mid-century design is less a “style” or “era” of design as it is a byword for “design” itself, as opposed to spaces and products that were not “designed” at all.” So, at a time when we are celebrating the launch of Corbet’s epic film, The Brutalist, this fascinating book by Dominic Bradley for the MCM enthusiast or inquisitive, seems timely.
Walter Dorwin Teague, Boeing 707, interior design, 1956. © Teague (page 304).
Paying tribute to the design pioneers who helped to shape the mid-century aesthetic inside properties, Mid-Century Modern Designers focuses on the products and people behind iconic creations of that era that have become household staples for modern lifestyles, from the furniture that seduces with its ergonomic character, to the textiles that draw us in with their colourful and joyful patterns and the fascinating sculptured glassware and ceramics. The book also includes innovative consumer goods from this extraordinary creative period, which still resonate, making it a terrific starting point for further exploration and a coffee table pleasure.
Mid-Century Modern highlights the importance of the global reach of the mid-century modern movement and regional design, showcasing contributions from Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Europe, Scandinavia, and North America.
Featuring the work of visionaries such as Alvar Aalto, Lina Bo Bardi, Lucienne Day, Tony Duquette, Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, Carlo Mollino, Charlotte Perriand, Lucie Rie, and Sori Yanagi, as well as many lesser-known heroes of the movement; Mid-Century Modern Designers is an expansive compendium providing a visual A-Z journey and a tribute to the international impact of this transformative design era.
Left, Ricardo Fasanello, Esfera Lounge Chair, 1968. © Atelier Tamowski Fasanello (page 109). Right, Mona Morales-Schildt, Ventana Vessel, 1950s. © Fiskars Finland Oy Ab. Photo Bukowskis Auctions (page 216).
Bradley introduces the book by saying, “One of the most striking aspects of mid-century modern design is how current it feels today.” He rightly outlines the importance of the opportunities this era afforded, when the demands and desires of consumers globally encouraged the rapid evolution of the design industry and how many of our modern patterns of living were pioneered in the postwar period, providing the foundations for twenty-first century lifestyles. I think it will be a long time before we see another style that has the ubiquity and staying power of mid-century modern and this beautifully, thoughtful book is an excellent homage to the era.
Mid-Century Modern Designers
by Dominic Bradley
Published by PhaidonHardback £69.95.
Available from 10th April.
Dominic Bradley is a writer and freelance journalist specialising in architecture and design. He has written many books including, Atlas of Interior Design, The Fife Arms, the Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Masterpieces, and the Atlas of Mid-Century Modern Houses. He also contributes to many newspapers and magazines in the UK, US, and internationally.
Author: Linda Hunting
Lead image: Arne Jacobsen, SAS Royal Hotel including the Egg Chair, 1966. © Paul Warchol (pages 158-159).
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