Design by Accident: For a New History of Design (Sternberg Press) - Softcover

Alexandra Midal

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3956791436 ISBN 13: 9783956791437

Publisher: Sternberg Press, 2019

Synopsis

A counterhistory and new historiography of design.

In Design by Accident, Alexandra Midal declares the autonomy of design, in and on its own terms. This meticulously researched work proposes not only a counterhistory but a new historiography of design, shedding light on overlooked historical landmarks and figures while reevaluating the legacies of design's established luminaries from the nineteenth century to the present. Midal rejects both linear narratives of progress and the long-held perception of design as a footnote to the histories of fine art and architecture. By weaving critical analysis of the canon of design history and theory together, with special attention to the writings of designers themselves, she draws out the nuances and radical potentials of the discipline--from William Morris's ambivalence toward industry, to Catharine Beecher's proto-feminist household appliances, to the Bauhaus's Expressionist origins, and the influence of Herbert Marcuse on Joe Colombo.

About this title

About the Author:

Alexandra Midal is an independent curator and professor at HEAD-Genève, combining research and curatorial activities in visual culture and design. She is the former director of the Frac Normandie Rouen and assistant to Dan Graham. Her latest book, La manufacture du meurtre, examines the relationship between serial killing and the assembly line.

About this edition

• Publisher: Sternberg Press
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 3956791436
• ISBN 13: 9783956791437
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 408