Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America

by Monica Obniski, Darrin Alfred, Amy Auscherman (Contributor)

A lively exploration of eclecticism, playfulness, and whimsy in American postwar design, including architecture, graphic design, and product design 

This spirited volume shows how postwar designers embraced whimsy and eclecticism in their work, exploring playfulness as an essential construct of modernity. Following World War II, Americans began accumulating more and more goods, spurring a transformation in the field of interior decoration. Storage walls became ubiquitous, often serving as a home’s centerpiece. Designers such as Alexander Girard encouraged homeowners to populate their new shelving units with folk art, as well as unconventional and modern objects, to produce innovative and unexpected juxtapositions within modern architectural settings. Playfulness can be seen in the colorful, child-sized furniture by Charles and Ray Eames, who also produced toys. And in the postwar corporate world, the concept of play is manifested in the influential advertising work of Paul Rand. Set against the backdrop of a society that was experiencing rapid change and high anxiety, Serious Play takes a revelatory look at how many of the country’s leading designers connected with their audience through wit and imagination.

Published in association with the Milwaukee Art Museum and the Denver Art Museum

Exhibition Milwaukee Art Museum
(09/28/18–01/06/19)

  Denver Art Museum
(05/05/19–08/25/19)
 

Genres: Design, Art

256 pages, Hardcover

Published October 2, 2018

Reviews

[EmelineB]

The title says it all: this is a series of essays on the playfulness in mid-century american design. What it doesn't say though is how it highlights lesser known designers and draws all the necessary parallels between their work.

[Barb Wiseberg]

Oh, the nostalgia factor!!!