Through the impact of shops like Habitat and IKEA; and of the countless glossy magazines; books and catalogues that focus on the concept of interior design; we have all become familiar with the idea of our homes and public interiors containing items of modern furniture and decor. Yet design historian and critic Penny Sparke shows that; unlike designed buildings and artefacts; the fixed idea of the modern interior has only ever been an abstract and idealized concept; promoted through exhibitions; retail contexts and the mass media; and that it rarely exists in an absolute form.The Modern Interior provides a persuasive account of the forces; conflicts and debates that have underpinned the emergence of something we now effortlessly refer to as the modern interior. Offering fascinating and eloquent insights into the work of international designers including C. R. Mackintosh; Adolf Loos; Josef Frank; Frank Lloyd Wright; Marcel Breuer; Lilly Reich; Mies van der Rohe; Le Corbusier; Philippe Starck; and Charles and Ray Eames; Sparke focuses on the realities as well as concepts of the modern interior; whether in the hands of professional decorators and designers; or in those of its amateur inhabitants. By doing so; she deftly unravels the shift from Victorian to modern style; and demonstrates that the easy transition to the modern interior so frequently portrayed is little more than a mythology.The Modern Interior is essential reading for all students of modern design; architecture and culture; as well as anyone interested in why the interior spaces we inhabit look the way they do.
#2342924 in eBooks 2013-02-07 2013-02-07File Name: B00BCJTYZ0
Review
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Great play; so-so translationBy Blue LuciaThe play itself is terrific; if infuriating. Ibsen did a terrific job illuminating how communities struggle to balance short-term economic interests with long-term health and prosperity; as well as the difficulty of having public debate about scientific issues when most people dont understand the technical details well enough to make their own informed judgments about relative risk and consequences. Replace "tainted water in the public baths" with "climate change" and you see how relevant this play remains today.However; this translation is not great. It often reads like a transliteration; with clunky turns of phrase that may be more precise matches to the original Norwegian but dont sound at all natural in English. The result is that much of the dialogue in this translation feels overly formal and stilted; not the dynamic and vigorous discussions that I suspect were intended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Written in 1882; Could have been written last year.By doctormamaThis classic Ibsen play is remarkably modern in content and theme. Imagine - a scientific-minded professional discovers potentially deadly toxic material in a towns main tourist draw; and the town tries hard to ruin him! Imagine - a large group of scientists agree that human activity is creating potentially deadly climate change; and the powers that be try hard to ruin them! Oh my.So many people have been returning to Orwells 1984; given the current American climate of charges of "fake news" and assertions of "alternative facts" and so on. I would suggest that this play also deserves a second look (or first; if you didnt read it in high school).0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. VERY TRUE STORY FOR TODAYBy 91185This book; written in the form of a play; is as true today as when it was written. Dont let the fact that it is a "play" keep you from reading it! I never thought I would want to read a play either; but this one has changed my perspective on them. Rather than tell what the book is about; which ruins the story for me; I would just highly recommend that people read this. Its a good story with a good morality element.