The Banham Lectures - by Jeremy Aynsley & Harriet Atkinson (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Banham Lectures presents a series of essays by leading critics on art, design, architecture and culture. All are inspired by the revolutionary work of Reyner Banham, who continues to be one of the greatest influences on Design and Architecture today. Integrating the study of pop art, industrial design and material culture for the first time, Banham's brilliant analyses of subjects - such as automobile styling, mobile homes, science fiction films, and our fondness for gadgets - anticipated many of our contemporary preoccupations. And just as Banham sought to overturn the views of previous generations, these critics aim to rethink the objects and buildings we use today. Provocative, engaged and inspired, The Banham Lectures is essential reading for anyone interested in the world we have made. CONTRIBUTORS: Mary Banham, Paul Barker, Tim Benton, Beatriz Colomina, Peter Cook, Elizabeth Collins Cromley, Frank Dudas, Adrian Forty, Christopher Frayling, Richard Hamilton, Mark Haworth-Booth, Tom Karen Pat Kirkham, Tomas Maldonado, Jeffrey L. Meikle, Gillian Naylor, Cedric Price, Ruth Schwartz-Cowan, Charles Saumarez Smith, Penny Sparke

Review Quotes

"Banham's words accompany the reader throughout the book while his persona gradually emerges from the authors' anecdotes."

Reyner Banham could not have hoped for a better testament to his lively intelligence than the incisive essays in this volume. His impact on several generations of architects, designers, and scholars is more than evident.

These lively essays by distinguished authors highlight both the importance of design history and Reyner Banham's highly influential contributions to that history. The book will introduce Banham's zany and original voice to a new generation of readers who may not yet know what a signal role he played in shaping our views of modern architecture, popular culture and twentieth-century design.

About the Author

EDITORS: Jeremy Aynsley is Professor of History of Design at the Royal College of Art, London and author of Graphic Design in Germany 1890-1945 and Designing Modern Germany. Harriet Atkinson is a historian and Research Fellow based at the Royal College of Art.