Better living...

...through good design. Repeat with me: it is possible; it is possible; it is possible...

{image from the Design History Mashup}

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The American Look

Many thanks to our friends at Mid-Century Modernist for bringing this short film to attention. It's a mesmerizing paean to modern design. Without any voice over or apparent plot, it feels like idealized, voyeuristic time-travel, tinged with melancholy because we are looking to the past and the present isn't as optimistic.




After you've seen the video, you may want to view the full segment (which is about 30 minutes) here:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9118785157777261461

I love seeing my dining chairs around 5'25". The voice over changes the entire tone. While the designs have stood the test of time, the words seem dated ("Improved styling constantly adds to the ease and grace and gaiety of American living..."), though beautiful as such, and seem to elide the fact that while some of the designs featured are American some are not. Nonetheless, I'm hypnotized by this melange of the nostalgia for forward-looking optimism (if that makes any sense).

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* A confession. I first intended to write about this way back in November 2008. But better late than never. I would never foist the "I've been busy" excuse on you... No, for you gentle reader, only the truth. I'm down with a case of the late-March, topsy-turvy weather blahs... And then I helped two friends move. And then I decided to clean out my closet. And then I began to wonder, might I really be a shopaholic? I'm not ready to confess that yet, but more some other time...

A peek from behind the screen

{images of Fatehpur Sekri by yours truly}

If I were prone to peeking from behind screens, then I might be tempted to do so from these.

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You'll cringe. You'll love it.

(Be sure to watch at least around 3'48" in the second clip....)

So much to love about the Eameses. Though you'll cringe every time the interviewer emphasizes Charles and puts Ray in the position of being the "woman standing behind the man", you have to love that wonderful 1950's formal diction and elocution. I would love to learn to speak that way, if only to deploy it for the course of an evening....

(I know I got this clip from some blog I read regularly, but can't remember which. If it's you, or if you know, please remind me so I can appropriately credit the source...)

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