The Ecstasy of Things: From the Functional Object to the Fetish in 20th Century Photographs - Hardcover

Thomas Seelig; Urs Stahel

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 3865210856 ISBN 13: 9783865210852

Publisher: Steidl, 2005

Synopsis

The twentieth century was--among all else--a century of things. From the handmade object to the mass produced, these things that once served a purpose soon became harbingers of beauty, modernity and innovation. Beyond the material, these objects have stimulated fantasies that convey an image about a time and a place, so that now even an everyday telephone or radio that has long been discontinued can experience a rebirth as a cult object only to be purchased for lofty sums of money at an auction. The Ecstasy of Things illustrates how product photography reflects the world of things as captured in varying lights for designers, manufacturers and advertising agencies. Collected here are nearly 500 photographs--many of which were unearthed from company and agency archives worldwide on behalf of the Fotomuseum Winterthur and the Swiss Photography Foundation. This book most impressively demonstrates how the emotional and symbolic content of an object was represented through the changing tastes and aesthetics throughout the twentieth century. At the same time, the collection is a wealth of forms, a colorful compendium of design and a photographic history of the past century as illustrated through our possessions.

About this title

Synopsis

The 20th century was - also - a century of things, both those artistically created and mass-produced. Originally manufactured for one purpose or another, the things soon achieved their independence, becoming in the process harbingers of beauty, modernity, innovation. Beyond the material, they stimulate one's fantasy, convey an image and demonstrate that even the carelessly discontinued piece can, after some time, experience a rebirth as a trash or cult object. In The Ecstasy of Things, product photography reflects the world of things and puts them in the right light for designers, manufacturers and advertising agencies. The book collects photographs, which for the first time were unearthed from company and agency archives worldwide on behalf on behalf of the Winterthur photo museum and the Swiss photography foundation. Rich in illustrations and annotations, this volume impressively shows, depending on the taste of the time and predominant aesthetics, how the emotional and symbolic content of a thing was represented. At the same time, the collection is a wealth of forms and a colorful compendium of design and a photographic history of the past century.

Edition details

• Publisher: Steidl
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 3865210856
• ISBN 13: 9783865210852
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 400