1977 Renato De Fusco LE CORBUSIER FURNITURE Designer Bk

LE CORBUSIER, DESIGNER, FURNITURE, 1929 by Renato De Fusco 1977 Hardcover First English edition 102 pages with approx. 125 b/w illustrations Renato De Fusco: LE CORBUSIER, DESIGNER, FURNITURE, 1929. Woodbury, NY: Barron's, 1977. First English edition. Originally published by Gruppo Editoriale Electa S.p.A., Milan, 1976. A near-fine hardcover book in a near-fine dustjacket with minor shelf wear. Interior unmarked and very clean. Out-of-print. 9.75 x 9 hardcover book with 102 pages and approx. 125 b/w illustrations. A comprehensive examination of Le Corbusier's approach to furniture design and the cultural and historical contect for such designs. Virtually self-taught, it's amazing that so many of his furniture designs--the LC1 sling chair, the LC2 series, and the iconic chaise longue among many other designs — are still produced to this day. Like so many modern pieces they have transcended their utilitarian function to become signifiers of refined taste and elegance with prices to match. Contents Foreword by Filippo Alison Le Corbusier, Designer, Furniture; 1929 Biographical Notes Le Corbusier's Theory of Decorative Art From Theory to Practice Furniture as "Signs" The Furniture Exhibited in 1929 The Historical Background of Le Corbusier's Furniture Le Corbusier's Furniture Today Models and Production Siege a dossier basculant Fauteuil grand confort, Petit modele Fauteuil grand confort, Grand modele Chaise-longue a reglage continu Canape Table en tube d'avion, section ovoide Table dalle de marbre posee sur pietement acier et fonte laquee Siege tournant (Fauteuil) Siege tournant (Tabouret) Meubles acier (Casiers modules), 1928 Casiers modules (Meubles acier), 1935 Le Corbusier and Us: An article published in "L'architetto," on the occasion of Le Corbusier's death Artists and designers also include Amedee Ozenfant, Amadeo Modigliani, Georges Lepape, J. E. Ruhlmann, Gerrit Rietveld, Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, and Robert Mallet-Stevens among others. Few would protest that Le Corbusier (1887-1965), Charles Edouard Jenneret, is one of the most influential architects of the 20th century. He articulated provocative ideas, created revolutionary designs and demonstrated a strong, if utopian, sense of purpose – to meet the needs of a democratic society dominated by the machine. Le Corbusier, like his father, began by learning the art of metal engraving. However, he was encouraged by a teacher to take up architecture and built his first house at the age of 18 for a member of his school's teaching staff. In 1908, he went to Paris and began to practice with Auguste Pierret, an architect known for his pioneering use of concrete and reinforced steel. Moving to Berlin, Le Corbusier worked with Peter Behrens, who taught him about industrial processes and machine design. In 1917, he returned to Paris w he met post-cubist Amedee Ozenfant and developed Purism, a new concept of painting. In 1920, still in Paris, he adopted the pseudonym, Le Corbusier. Paradoxically, Le Corbusier combined a passion for classical Greek architecture and an attraction to the modern machine. He published his ideas in a book entitled, Vers une Architecture, in which he refers to the house as a "machine for living," an industrial product that should include functional furniture or "equipment de l'habitation." In this spirit, Le Corbusier co-designed a system of furniture with his cousin Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand. The tubular steel furniture projected a new rationalist aesthetic that came to epitomize the International Style. During the 1920's and 30's, Le Corbu concentrated on architecture and during the 1950's he moved towards more expressive forms that revealed the sculptural potential of concrete. Over the decades, his work has included mass housing blocks, public buildings and individual villas, all conceived with what he called the "engineer's aesthetic." Please visit my Ebay store for an excellent and ever-changing selection of rare and out-of-print design... read more