Bookcatalogtest

Based on the 'Bücherkatalogtest' published by Swiss psychiatrist Moritz Tramer in 1953, this personality test uses 432 book titles to determine the character of test subjects. The objective is to choose ten titles from the list in under twenty minutes. Each book title is connected to a certain category, so by examining and comparing the test subject's choices, a portrait of their method of thinking and associations emerges. According to artist Triin Tamm, who redeveloped the test catalog for this publication, the goal is “to evoke different interests that lie buried deep down in each of us.” The catalog includes a comprehensive user's manual and circle graph to map the results of each test.

Alexander Girard - A Designer's Universe (Deutsche Ausgabe)

2016

Alexander Girard (1907-1993) war einer der bedeutendsten modernen Textildesigner und Innenarchitekten des 20. Jahrhunderts. Er arbeitete eng mit Designern wie Charles Eames und George Nelson zusammen und verband Einflusse der Pop Art und der Folk Art zu einer farbenfrohen, opulenten Formensprache, deren Einfluss bis heute nachwirkt. Der reich illustrierte Katalog schöpft aus dem umfangreichen privaten Nachlass Alexander Girards, der im Vitra Design Museum nun erstmals umfassend erschlossen wurde. Das Buch zeigt das gesamte Schaffen des amerikanisch-italienischen Multitalents in all seinen Facetten und liefert zugleich die erste wissenschaftlich kritische Auseinandersetzung mit seinem Werk. Sechs Essays widmen sich Girards Textil- und Grafikdesign für den Möbelhersteller Herman Miller, bedeutenden Interior-Design-Projekten wie dem Irwin Miller House in Columbus Indiana (1953) und dem Restaurant La Fonda Del Sol in New York (1960), seiner Tätigkeit als wegweisender Ausstellungsorganisator und -kurator, seinen Wurzeln in Italien und seiner Leidenschaft für Folk Art, die in einer Sammlung von mehr als 100.000 Objekten mündete und eine der wichtigsten Inspirationsquellen für seine eigene Arbeit bildete. Neben umfangreichen Portfolios mit bisher nie gezeigten Archivmaterialien liefert die Publikation zudem die erste umfassende Biografie und eine komplette Werksliste.

The World = Our Toolkit

Atelier Remy & Veenhuizen was formed in 2000, though the individual designers have been active since the 1990s, when “Dutch Design” exploded on the international scene. Although the two have different backgrounds, in their current practice neither is able or willing to distinguish who has contributed what to a specific design. This book explores their design process through well-known commissioned works and independent projects, framing their current practice in terms of compromise, freedom of materials, and the liberties they often take with assignments. An interview with the two designers forms a thread that weaves its way through the book’s many illustrated pages.

Watercolours by Finn Juhl

2015

Finn Juhl (1912-1989) is known and loved in Denmark and around the world for his sophisticated and sculptural furniture – but few people are familiar with his masterly watercolours. Throughout most of his career, his workshop drawings were carefully finished with a watercolour wash. To ease understanding, as Juhl put it. Watercolours hold a power of seduction that no technical drawing possesses. The use of light and shading comes into its own in watercolours, making the chair, the table and the interior come alive. Almost allowing us to feel the smooth surface of the wood and the delicate structure of the textile.The book opens with an essay introducing the reader to Finn Juhl’s fascinating universe and then goes on to present more than 125 watercolours in thematic chapters. In addition to a wide range of furniture designs, the watercolours present applied art, exhibition stands, architecture and interiors, including Juhl’s interior design of the UN’s Trusteeship Council Chamber in New York and the outfitting of SAS’s DC8 airliners from the early 1950s.The book’s author, Anne-Louise Sommer (born 1961), is the director of Designmuseum Danmark in Copenhagen, an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Denmark and the author of numerous books and articles on design, architecture and garden design.

Finn Juhl at the UN - a living legacy

2013

In April 2013 the Thrusteeship Council Chamber in the UN-building in New York was reopened after a thorough restoration. 'Finn Juhl in the UN – a living legacy' tells the story of how this piece of Danish culture came to be. About how Finn Juhl worked with the furnishing of the chamber, about the restoration and about the designduo Salto & Sigsgaard and their work with designing modern furniture for the restored chamber. The book is written by Karsten R.S. Ifversen, author and architectural editor for the Danish newspaper Politiken, and by Birgit Lyngbye Pedersen, business historian and Finn Juhl expert. The American architect and author Michael Sheridan has written the foreword. 'Finn Juhl – a living legacy' is illustrated with historic illustrations and with new photos taken by Hans Ole Madsen. The book is published with funds provided by Realdania, Kulturstyrelsen and the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Offecct Voices: Furniture, Passion and Entrepreneurs

In 1990, armed with some personal savings, an Alfa Romeo toolbox, and no shortage of enthusiasm, two Swedish entrepreneurs embarked on the creation of a new furniture company. Tow decades later, 'OFFECCT' has grown to become one of Scandinavia's leading furniture brands. This book tells the story, in the voices of those that made it happen.

Wim Crouwel - Modernist

2016

A new, detailed monograph about Wim Crouwel: graphic designer and exhibition designer who defined the look of post war Holland with his studio Total Design. His modernism was reflected in countless posters and catalogues for the Stedelijk Museum, in stamps and experimental work like a sensational computer alphabet. In the seventies Crouwel evoked a lot of criticism but nowadays he is seen as a cult figure and an inspiration for many.

System 180 - Bauwelten

2010

Jürg Steiner hatte das Glück, sich in seiner beruflichen Laufbahn immer wieder mit der Frage befassen zu können, was der Mensch braucht, um sein Leben nach eigenen Wünschen und eigenem Können besser zu gestalten. Aus dieser Beschäftigung heraus ist das System 180 entstanden. Es wurde über viele Jahre entwickelt und in Reaktion auf immer neue praktische Herausforderungen sowie in enger Zusammenarbeit mit klugen, kreativen Mitstreitern angepasst und verbessert. Heute bietet System 180 dem Menschen nahezu unbegrenzte Möglichkeiten zum Bauen. Es ist als zusammenhängendes System konzipiert und stellt für anspruchsvolle Anforderungen intelligente Lösungsmöglichkeiten zur Verfügung. System 180 ist ein modulares Bausystem und lässt sowohl für Gebäude wie auch zum Innenausbau oder für Möbel verwenden: Geodätische Strukturen, Messestände, Dächer, Treppen, Arbeitswelten, Regale, Tische, Betten... Alles entsteht mit System 180 nach denselben Grundprinzipien und mit einfachsten Bestandteilen. Konstruktionen aus System 180 können beliebig oft demontiert, umgebaut und neu konfiguriert werden, ohne dass ihre Stabilität oder Hochwertigkeit darunter leiden würden.

Maarten Van Severen

Originally published in 2000, this book is considered an intrinsic part of the Belgian furniture designer’s oeuvre. This new edition, published on the tenth anniversary of Van Severen’s death in 2005, offers a comprehensive overview of his many creations and inspirations through photomontage, slideshows of images, and an essay by Geert Bekaert. It shows how his ascetic tables, chairs, lamps, wardrobes, and more – designed for great simplicity and with modern materials – are synonymous with the feeling of a contemporary life.

Dieter Rams: Less and More

Gestalten, Berlin, 2015

Now available again, this is the definitive reference book on the work of Dieter Rams. In his more than 40 years at Braun, Rams established himself as one of the most influential designers of the twentieth century. True to the principle of "less, but better", his elegantly clear visual language not only defined product design for generations, but also our fundamental understanding of what design is and what it can and should do. Less and More offers boundless inspiration for anyone interested in the aesthetic and functional aspects of applied design.

Comme Des Garcons: Unlimited

Compilation of single frame images taken from two television programmes interspersed with images taken from different Comme des Garçons collections which celebrates the remarkable influence of fashion designer, Rei Kawakubo, the identity behind fashion label Comme des Garçons.

Jochen Gerner - Monograph

2015

This monograph of French illustrator and cartoonist Jochen Gerner follows a research and thought process concerning the connections between text and image, typography and line, and includes numerous examples of his work. In his drawing practice, Gerner creates visual narrative projects, such as illustrated books and experimental comics, as well as drawings for the world of publishing and print media. Since the early 2000s, he has investigated printed images through graphic means: a “hijacking” process using ink and paint that allows a method of reframing or erasing. The book includes texts by Christophe Gallois and an interview with Gerner by Tom McCarthy.

A Book From deValence

2015

The first publication about the work of the French graphic design studio deValence, this book examines their most recent works since 2012, as well as their long-term collaborations with artists such as Raphaël Zarka, Saâdane Afif, Mathieu Abonnenc, and Pierre Huyghe. Led today by Alexandre Dimos and Ghislain Triboulet, the studio’s work is notable in its intention to seemingly disappear in a process where form logically follows from the content. By way of a thorough analysis of several of their designs, overlapping elements of both avant-garde functional aesthetics and an austere classicism emerge in their work. With a text by Victor Guégan and an interview with deValence.

Studio Makkink & Bey Dexter & Sinister

2015

The national public commission for design furniture and arrangement of the International University Research Centre of Orléans (Hôtel Dupanloup) was entrusted to Dutch designer Jurgen Bey, who proposed furnishing not only the main room, but also the 23 working and meeting rooms of the building, a listed historical monument. The project’s approach encouraged 21st-century design in dialogue with works of art, and involved students from the city’s art and design academy, as well as links with the building’s recent restoration projects. This diminutive yet colourful and richly illustrated book recounts these efforts in full, with added perspectives from numerous contributors.

Ted Noten - Ubiquist

2015

Ted Noten is one of today’s most original, radical designers. His transparent acrylic bags – containing objects ranging from animals, jewels and cocaine to pistols – have seduced collectors, confused the establishment, inspired fellow artists and challenged students all over the world. Beauty and violence, perfection and decay: these are themes that have never been absent from his oeuvre since he made his famous pendant featuring a mouse wearing a pearl necklace. This book illustrates the pitiless precision of each separate design. At the same time it documents the immense playing field in which Noten operates.

Irma Boom - Ibo

2015

Since 1991, Irma Boom always had one or two assistants working at IBO (Irma Boom Office): young, budding designers of different nationalities. This publication was initiated by Akiko Wakabayashi, at IBO since 2013, on the occasion of exhibitions in Japan. Ten former and current co-workers were asked to put their personal views on the IBO design practice to paper – in their own words, design, and imagery. Together they present a remarkably intimate portrait of Irma Boom and her philosophy on work and design.

Jasper Morrison: A Book of Things

Lars Müller, 2015

[Englischer Text] Jasper Morrison hat die Begabung, Dingen ein unverkennbares Gesicht zu verleihen. Man erkennt seine Handschrift an vielen Objekten des täglichen Gebrauchs. Einfachheit und Komplexität, Poesie und Humor sind das Repertoir seiner verbindlichen Gestaltung. Morrison arbeitet im globalen Massstab und ist einer der einflussreichsten Produktgestalter der Gegenwart. A Book of Things versammelt Produkte und Projekte aus dem breiten Spektrum seiner Tätigkeit und belegt die Kontinuität seiner Interessen und seiner Arbeitsweise, die er in prägnanten Texten beschreibt. Nach Everything but the Walls (2002) ist A Book of Things die Fortschreibung von Morrisons leidenschaftlicher Untersuchung der Welt der Dinge, die unser Leben begleiten und unsere Umgebung prägen.

Gewn-ichiro Yagyu - Nasenlöcher [Nasenloecher, Nasenlocher]

Eileen Gray - Leben und Werk (Sonderausgabe)

2014

Jahrzehntelang war sie so gut wie vergessen. Erst in den 1970er Jahren entdeckte man sie wieder und feiert sie seitdem als Pionierin des modernen Design. Eileen Gray (1878-1976), höhere Tochter schottisch-irischer Eltern, studierte Malerei in London und zog 1906 für den Rest ihres langen Lebens nach Paris. Dort begann sie ihre Karriere mit ungewöhnlichen Lackmöbeln, die die Pariser Hautevolée ebenso begeisterten wie ihre intellektuellen Bewunderer, darunter Somerset Maugham und Gertrude Stein. Zeitgleich mit Bauhaus und De Stijl entwickelte sie sich in den 20er Jahren zu jener Repräsentantin einer streng den Gesetzen von Funktion und Material folgenden Moderne, als die sie heute gilt. Ihr eigenes, selbst entworfenes Haus in Südfrankreich - das angeblich Le Corbusier vor Neid erblassen ließ - setzte seinerzeit Maßstäbe für einen radikal modernen Lebensstil, ein Hauch von Luxus inbegriffen, und ihre "Klassiker" - etwa der Tisch E-1027 - haben inzwischen Kultstatus. Peter Adams große Monographie, die 2009 bei uns erschien und zum weltweiten Eileen Gray-Revival beigetragen hat, legen wir jetzt, leicht verkleinert, in 2. Auflage vor.

Charlotte Perriand - Complete Works, Volume 2: 1940-1955

2015

Charlotte Perriand is among the foremost figures in twentieth century interior design. Together with her contemporaries and collaborators Pierre Jeanneret and Le Corbusier, she created many pieces of furniture we now consider classics, including the instantly recognizable LC4 chaise. Her pioneering work with metal was particularly instrumental in paving the way for the machine-age aesthetic popular throughout the 1920s and ’30s. The second volume in a planned three-part series, this lavish book covers the years between 1940 and 1955. Beginning in the 1940s, Perriand traveled extensively in Japan by invitation of the Japanese government with whom she worked as an advisor to modernize the country’s design. During this period, she took many photographs documenting traditional Japanese culture, many of which are published here for the first time. From 1952 to 1955, a fruitful collaboration with the Ateliers Jean Prouvé provided for the first time the technical means for Perriand to mass-produce her designs while also further improving Prouvé’s own work both aesthetically and practically. A number of emblematic masterpieces came about as a result of this collaboration, including the Tunisian and Mexican dormitories at the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. Covering these important moments and many others, including Perriand’s work in Vietnam, in founding the Formes Utiles movement, and in further collaborations with Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand continues the three-volume exploration of this key figure, complete with annotations and a bibliography for further research.