Modernism : Modernist Design, 1880-1940

Six major design styles during 1880 - 1940 form the basis of the Modernist Movement which embraces a diverse range of the decorative and applied and graphic arts.

Starting with the Arts and Crafts movement in Britain and America we progress through European and American Art Noveau, the Weiner Werkstatte based on Vienna, the De Stijl movement centred in Holland, the Bauhaus emanating from Germany, and ending with the Art Deco movement throughout Europe and America.In a series of essays, Alastair Duncan, brings together these disparate but connected movements under the one umbrella of modernism.

The book provides an overview of these movements and links them together.

The essays are built around full colour photographs of unique objects from the Modernism Collection of the Norwest Corporation of Minneapolis.

The emphasis is on three-dimensional works including metalwork, glassware, ceramics, and selected furniture as well as graphic design mainly in the form of posters.