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#1 2010-04-15 04:31:18
- Staceyboy
- Ivy Archivist
- Posts: 936
"Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
A copy of “Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design and Culture at Mid-Century” by Elizabeth Armstrong has just turned up on my desk and I’m very pleasantly surprised. I came across it online and not previously seen it listed in any catalogues or on the shelves of any of the local retailers. I wasn’t expecting too much so I ordered a copy in for work rather than shell out myself! There's about a hundred and one of this type of coffee table ‘design’ book out there after all but this is a MUCH a better product all together. It’s actually a catalogue of sorts to accompany an exhibition hosted by Orange County Museum of Art during Autumn 2008. The book is roughly ‘LP’ format and really nicely put together re: text and illustration and sure to push a lot of buttons for our regular posters. I’m only sorry that I can’t sort out some tasty scans for you at the moment A great little illustrated essay about Bill Claxton is one of the highlights. It’s heavy on West Coast Jazz, furniture, architecture and abstract art so what’s not to like!?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birth-Cool-California-Culture-Mid-century/dp/3791338781/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1271327224&sr=8-1
http://thetownoutside.tumblr.com
#2 2010-04-15 04:38:23
- Hard Bop Hank
- Ivy Soul Brother
- From: land of a 1000 dances
- Posts: 4923
Re: "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
It's on my list!
“No Room For Squares”
”All political art is bad – all good art is political.”
"Would there be any freedom of press or speech if one must reduce his vocabulary to vapid innocuous euphemisms?"
#3 2010-04-15 08:51:17
- The Thin Repp
- Ivy Evangelist
- Posts: 1160
Re: "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
Last edited by The Thin Repp (2010-04-15 09:30:41)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/NewtonStreetVintage Classic Vintage Ivy League Clothing on Etsy.
#4 2010-04-15 09:04:50
- Staceyboy
- Ivy Archivist
- Posts: 936
Re: "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
^Thanks TR. This group is new to me. I'll check them out.
Staceyboy
http://thetownoutside.tumblr.com
#5 2010-04-15 10:04:35
- HL Poling & Sons
- Member
- Posts: 41
Re: "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
I saw this exhibition out here in the Bay Area last summer (or maybe the one before that). Great show--covered midcentury modern design from all angles: architecture (marvelous section on the California Case Model houses), home furnishings, industrial design, art, animation, music, etc.
The catalogue is well worth picking up. Especially for this group.
#6 2010-04-15 11:32:00
- Long_Playing
- Member
- From: The Woodshed
- Posts: 147
Re: "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
Yeh, it was a good one. The music portion of the exhibition was sort of fluff, but everything else was grand.
Had the chance to see this in both Orange County and Oakland when it moved up here - I felt like the space at the OCMA worked better, but you can't fault a room full of cool sh*t. Also caught that Ferus film when it was being screened - the book they just released is VERY high quality. I recommend both highly. Great 'West Coast' vibe...
#7 2010-04-15 13:12:06
- 4F Hepcat
- THE Cat
- Posts: 14333
Re: "Birth of the Cool: California Art, Design & Culture at Midcentury"
West Coast cool jazz, the ultimate mid-50's vibe.
There were a few complaints about the lack of the Beats on the Amazon site, well, the Beats really belonged to bebop and the innovations of the mid to late 1940's.
Those of you who are aware of Chico Hamilton's Quintet (in Hi Fi or even on CD) will be in tuned to William Claxton's literal-classical, semi-abstract and well known portraitist style and that this is not limited to Chet Baker's homoerotic-But No For Me, heroic/in chic.
Vibe-Rations in Spectra-Sonic-Sound