Rating: 
Summary: Magic Carpet Ride
Review: TEXTILE DESIGNS provides the reader with more than just a visual smorgasbord. That alone would warrant owning this beautiful book. The depicted designs, limned clearly is vibrant color, can be returned to again and again for both inspiration and delectation. In addition, the accompanying commentary deeply impresses me with its scholarliness. The book is scholarly in the sense of reflecting much research and thoughtful distillation of material. It is also witty, trenchant, and amusing in the manner in which facts are presented. And facts there are aplenty. Tracking the history of textile design carries us through the spread of French, British, Dutch and Russian colonialism. It takes us on a tour of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Leaf through the book on a randon basis, and you will find nuggets of information that throw light on subjects as disparate as the origin of the myth of the cornucopia; the relative cost of a fine paisley shawl in early nineteenth England (as much as a London townhouse); or the connections between the slave trade and the textile industries of France and England. Indeed, reading this book is like taking a ride on a magic textile-design carpet, darting and swooping from one aspect of the human story to another...but maintaining a unique perspective based on a deep appreciation of the link between decorative design and its cultural and historical context. This book is a must-buy not only for those who seek aesthetic visual delights, but for individuals who are intrigued by the web of socio-economic connections generated by the textile industry during the past two centuries.
Rating:
Summary: Magic Carpet Ride
Review: TEXTILE DESIGNS provides the reader with more than just a visual smorgasbord. That alone would warrant owning this beautiful book. The depicted designs, limned clearly is vibrant color, can be returned to again and again for both inspiration and delectation. In addition, the accompanying commentary deeply impresses me with its scholarliness. The book is scholarly in the sense of reflecting much research and thoughtful distillation of material. It is also witty, trenchant, and amusing in the manner in which facts are presented. And facts there are aplenty. Tracking the history of textile design carries us through the spread of French, British, Dutch and Russian colonialism. It takes us on a tour of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Leaf through the book on a randon basis, and you will find nuggets of information that throw light on subjects as disparate as the origin of the myth of the cornucopia; the relative cost of a fine paisley shawl in early nineteenth England (as much as a London townhouse); or the connections between the slave trade and the textile industries of France and England. Indeed, reading this book is like taking a ride on a magic textile-design carpet, darting and swooping from one aspect of the human story to another...but maintaining a unique perspective based on a deep appreciation of the link between decorative design and its cultural and historical context. This book is a must-buy not only for those who seek aesthetic visual delights, but for individuals who are intrigued by the web of socio-economic connections generated by the textile industry during the past two centuries.
Rating:
Summary: Textile Designs: Two Hundred Years...
Review: This book is crammed with designs in every conceivable category. It is a must for anyone studying textile or surface design.
Rating:
Summary: Best new resource for textile designers!
Review: This CD collection of excerpts from the illustrated book has become a vital resource for me and my staff of textile designers. It saves a great deal of time and effort in scanning and cleaning artwork, and allows us to combine elements from many different pieces into entirely new patterns.Every design studio I know of owns at least one copy of the book, and to have quick CD access to this wealth of inspiration is terrific. I look forward to the next volumes!
Rating:
Summary: Best new resource for textile designers!
Review: This CD collection of excerpts from the illustrated book has become a vital resource for me and my staff of textile designers. It saves a great deal of time and effort in scanning and cleaning artwork, and allows us to combine elements from many different pieces into entirely new patterns. Every design studio I know of owns at least one copy of the book, and to have quick CD access to this wealth of inspiration is terrific. I look forward to the next volumes!
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