Product Description

This ground-breaking study of modern art, architecture, design and film examines the Cold War as a conflict between differing conceptions of modern life. This was a period of great political tensions and exceptional creativity touching every aspect of life, from everyday products to the highest arenas of human achievement in science and culture. Art and design played a central role in representing and sometimes challenging the dominant political and social ideas of the age. "Cold War Modern" is an ambitious review of the geography of Cold War modernity, including works from the Socialist Bloc and western Europe, the United States, Cuba and Japan. Essays on subjects as diverse as Cold War strategy, domesticity and hi-tech design developments are illustrated with remarkable images by internationally renowned artists and designers from Picasso to Kubrick, alongside the forgotten figures of the Cold War era.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #99439 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

Review
'Excellent' --New Statesman

Review
`Handsome and comprehensive'

About the Author
Jane Pavitt is the University of Brighton Senior Research Fellow in Product Design at the V&A. She is lead curator of the exhibition Cold War Modern and has curated several major exhibitions including Brilliant (V&A 2004) and Brand.New (V&A 2000) and edited the accompanying books. David Crowley teaches history at the Royal College of Art, London and is the consultant curator of Cold War Modern at the V&A.

Customer Reviews

Record of a fine exhibition
This book accompanies the fine exhibition of post-war design mounted at London's Victoria and Albert Museum. The book is well illustrated and consists of independent chapters by some dozen different authors. Material is drawn from both sides of the Cold War divide, giving the book a comprehensive treatment. The quality and readability is variable. Some chapters are written in opaque academic prose that is virtually unintelligible to the general reader. The book is well produced, but be prepared for some hard work if you take it off the coffee table.

Tendentious Rot
This book has a totalitarian slant. It is unfortunately not seriously about the design of the period, which deserves a far better book from this normally excellent publisher.