In 1951, designer Greta Magnusson Grossman observed that California
design was "not a superimposed style, but an answer to present
conditions. . . . It has developed out of our own preferences for
living in a modern way." California design influenced the
material culture of the entire country, in everything from
architecture to fashion. This book is the first comprehensive
examination of California¿s mid-century modern design. It begins by
tracing the origins of a distinctively California modernism in the
1930s ; it finds other specific design influences and innovations
in solid-color commercial ceramics, inspirations from Mexico and
Asia, new schools for design training, new concepts about leisure,
and the conversion of wartime technologies to peacetime use.
"This book beautifully documents how climate, immigration, and industryinfluenced California's modern design aesthetic." -- Publishers Weekly "...[F]ascinating stuff, rich with detail and new discoveries." -- NZ House and Garden
Wendy Kaplan is Department Head and Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
