The Bauhaus Ideal Then & Now - by William Smock (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The Bauhaus Ideal is both a picture book and a guidebook to the fascinating and enduring legacy of modernist design, and to the continuing influence of Bauhaus on interior design--not just on architecture, but also on furniture, glassware, tableware, and kitchen utensils: the whole range of domestic arts.

This unique volume introduces modern design principles and examines them from an historically critical perspective. It concludes with some ideas for melding modern solemnity with postmodern irony. And in each phase the illustrations speak as eloquently as the text--the whole serves as a beautifully illustrated design memo.

Review Quotes

". . . a lively account that finally confirms the ultimate importance of Bauhaus innovation." --Dore Ashton, The Cooper Union

". . . it's concise, fun to read and beautifully illustrated. . . . For students, this book should help to inspire new interest in what Modernism was/is all about."--Scott Klinker, Cranbrook Academy of Art

"Highly politicized . . . amply illustrated with pencil sketches, and featuring a detailed annotated bibliography, Smock's short and lively book is long on controversy and ideas . . ." --Whitney Scott, Booklist

About the Author