WRITTEN IN FRENCH
Vincent Brocvielle, a renowned specialist in art history, reveals the fascinating and sometimes little-known stories behind these design objects.
After The Fabulous Destiny of the Centre Pompidou's Masterpieces in the "Why is it famous?" collection, this book presents some of the most popular design objects kept at Beaubourg. Some sixty iconic objects - from the Thonet chair (1885) to Marlène Huissoud's Cocoon Cabinet (2018) and the BIC pens from 1950 - are presented chronologically, from the Belle Époque to the present day.
Over more than a century, the book draws up a familiar inventory of objects whose forms and functions respond to each other and offers a panorama of the great modern and contemporary creators. This brief history of design is placed from the angle of the reception of the works: we observe in particular their impact in everyday life, their recurrence in films, in advertisements, in transport, in everyday language (a Corbu, a Tupperware), their commercial success and, why not, their misappropriations.
There are many stories to tell and as many ways to answer the question "Why is it known?": why it is known to the general public, amateurs or collectors, but also why it is considered a foundational piece, a milestone or a must-have in the history of design.
French
152 pages / 129 illustrations
Publishing Rmn - Grand Palais
In partnership with the Centre Pompidou, Musée national d'art moderne - Centre de création industrielle
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