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MIDCENTURY DESIGN: A CLOSER LOOK – Fun, Taste & IKEA
MIDCENTURY DESIGN: A CLOSER LOOK Fun, Taste & IKEA
Summer Course 2019 - Session 3
Why do people shop IKEA across the world? Accessible design and reasonable prices come to mind. But look closer and you find fun lurking in the meatballs, carefully arranged domestic tableaux and winding trails of discovery. Beauty has long dominated the world of art and design, but playful, joyful fun has long motivated artists and creators, delighting the minds of consumers and patrons alike. By closely examining the notion of an aesthetics of fun embodied in the Serious Play exhibits reveals its hidden smile. By tracing a history of playful art and whimsical design, this session, David Thomas, from the University of Colorado s College of Architecture and Planning, argues for the prevalence, and importance of play in our creative institutions and industries.
Whether you are a midcentury design buff or just discovering this dynamic era and style, join us in a three-session summer course for a deeper look at Serious Play: Design in Midcentury America. Learn more about the social, cultural, and political context of midcentury America, ponder the ways in which fun informs the design aesthetic of this period, and get playful with an exploration of iconic midcentury chairs.
Additional course sessions include:
· Moderns before Midcentury (June 15, 2:30-4:00pm)
· Playful Seriousness (July 13, 2:30-4:00pm)
To purchase a combination package for all three sessions, please click here.
Image credit: Herbert Bayer s Kaleidoscreen installed in Aspen, Colorado, about 1957. Herbert Bayer Collection and Archive, Denver Art Museum. Photograph courtesy Denver Art Museum.