Design and truth / Robert Grudin.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Grudin, Robert.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Design.

Truth.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (256 pages) : illustrations (chiefly color)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"If good design tells the truth," writes Robert Grudin in this path-breaking book on esthetics and authority, "poor design tells a lie, a lie usually related . . . to the getting or abusing of power. "From the ornate cathedrals of Renaissance Europe to the much-maligned Ford Edsel of the late 1950's, all products of human design communicate much more than their mere intended functions. Design holds both psychological and moral power over us, and these forces may be manipulated, however subtly, to surprising effect. In an argument that touches upon subjects as seemingly unrelated as the Japanese tea ceremony, Italian mannerist painting, and Thomas Jefferson's Monticello plantation, Grudin turns his attention to the role of design in our daily lives, focusing especially on how political and economic powers impress themselves on us through the built environment. Although architects and designers will find valuable insights here, Grudin's intended audience is not exclusively the trained expert but all those who use designs and live within them every day.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

ONE HOMAGE TO RIKYU: DESIGN, TRUTH, AND POWER

TWO HOMAGE TO VASARI: DESIGN, KNOWLEDGE, AND ENERGY

Epilogue: Designing Truth

Notes

Acknowledgments

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-299-46357-6

0-300-16203-0

OCLC:

841171275