Modernism Rediscovered

A new appreciation for the genius of architectural photographer Julius Shulman has opened the way for hundreds of abandoned masterworks to be rediscovered. The images burned in our memories, which to us represent the spirit of fifties and sixties design, were those widely published in magazines and books; but what about those that were not? The abandoned files of Julius Shulman show us another side of Modernism that has stayed quiet for many years. The exchange of visual information is crucial to the development, evolution, and promotion of architectural movements. If a building is not widely seen, its photograph rarely or never published, it simply does not enter into architectural discourse. Many buildings photographed by Shulman suffered this fate, their images falling into oblivion. With this new book, Taschen brings them to light, paying homage to California Modernism in all its forms. It's like sneaking into a private history, into homes that have rarely been seen and hardly appreciated as of yet. Bringing together nearly 300 forgotten masterpieces, Modernism Rediscovered breathes eternal life into these outstanding contributions to the modern architectural movement.

Many people think modernist architecture never flowered in California north of the San Fernando Valley. NorCalMod dispels that notion in a copiously illustrated history showcasing extraordinary examples of its proud contribution to the Bay Area and environs. As a style, modernist architecture was hotly debated in its day (why create modern structures where such distinctive Victorian and Arts and Crafts buildings already existed?) pulling heavyweights such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Lewis Mumford, and Walter Gropius into the fray. Ultimately, that existing "Bay Region Style" would remain the area's architectural hallmark, but not before hundreds of important modernist projects, many still standing yet unjustly neglected today, had been established. The remarkable photos in this book open our eyes to a long-lost chapter in the history of California architecture and make NorCalMod a volume to be enjoyed by those interested in California history and style as well as by architecture students and professionals.

American photographer Julius Shulman's images of Californian architecture have burned themselves into the retina of the 20th century. A book on modern architecture without Shulman is inconceivable. Some of his architectural photographs, like the iconic shots of Frank Lloyd Wright's or Pierre Koenig's remarkable structures, have been published countless times. The brilliance of buildings like those by Charles Eames, as well as those of his close Friend, Richard Neutra, was first brought to light by Shulman's photography. The clarity of his work demanded that architectural photography had to be considered as an independent art form. Each Schulman image unites perception and understanding for the buildings and their place in the landscape. The precise compositions reveal not just the architectural ideas behind a building's surface, but also the visions and hopes of an entire age. A sense of humanity is always present in his work, even when the human figure is absent from the actual photographs. Today, a great many of the buildings documented by Shulman have disappeared or been crudely converted, but the thirst for his pioneering images is stronger than ever before. This is a vivid journey across six decades of great architecture and classic photography through the famously incomparable eyes of Julius Shulman.

New and vintage photography of America’s modernist architectural mecca. A visionary artist who has achieved worldwide fame, Julius Shulman transformed architectural photography. From his earliest photographs to those taken today, his work demonstrates a profound sensitivity to and appreciation for the spaces in which people live. These spaces, as seen through his lens, are at once luminous and profoundly shadowed, becoming spaces of intrigue and extraordinary beauty into which the observer longs to enter. This volume focuses on Shulman’s Chicago work. This town is America’s First City of Architecture, and its modern architecture is the ideal subject for Shulman’s lens. Featured here are the elegantly modern Minsk House, designed by Keck & Keck in 1955; the 1960 Burton Frank House, a mid-century modern gem; architect Harry Weese’s inspired modernist home and studio of 1957; and many other modern masterpieces.

..". an important and valuable collection... the essays are at the cutting edge of post modernism." -- Maggie Humm, Women's Studies International Forum "This well-written, carefully edited anthology provides an excellent overview of the thicket of contemporary feminist literary theory... No library should be without it." -- Kathryn Allen Rabuzzi, Syracuse University, Religious Studies Review "In all, this is a rich and varied collection." -- Journal of Modern Literature Explores the aesthetic and political issues inherent in feminist critical theory and practice. Contributors include Shari Benstock, Elaine Showalter, Nina Baym, Paula A. Treichler, Jane Marcus, Josephine Donovan, Judith Kegan Gardiner, Judith Newton, Lillian S. Robinson, Nina Auerbach, Elizabeth Fox-Genovese, Hortense J. Spillers, and Susan Stanford Friedman.