Swedish Grace

Swedish Design: A History provides a fascinating and comprehensive introduction to the development of design in Sweden from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twenty-first. Leading design historian Lasse Brunnström traces the move from artisanal crafts production to the mass production and consumption of designed objects, a process by which the role and profile of the designer became increasingly important. His survey, richly illustrated with images of the designed objects discussed, takes in forms of design traditionally associated with Sweden, such as household objects and textiles, while also considering some less-written about genres such as industrial and graphic design. Brunnström questions many established ideas about design in Sweden, notably its aesthetics and its relationship to Sweden's national and political culture. He argues that the history of design in Sweden has been far more complex and less straightforwardly 'blond' than hitherto understood.

Swedish designers are noted for producing distinctive and elegant forms; their furniture and household goods have an especially loyal following around the world. Design in Sweden has more than just an aesthetic component, however. Since at least the late nineteenth century, Swedish politicians and social planners have viewed design as a means for advocating and enacting social change and pushing for a more egalitarian social organization. In this book, Keith M. Murphy examines the special relationship between politics and design in Sweden, revealing in particular the cultural meanings this relationship holds for Swedish society. Over the course of fourteen months of research in Stockholm and at other sites, Murphy conducted in-depth interviews with various players involved in the Swedish design industry—designers, design instructors, government officials, artists, and curators—and observed several different design collectives in action. He found that for Swedes design is never socially or politically neutral. Even for common objects like furniture and other household goods, design can be labeled "responsible," "democratic," or "ethical"— descriptors that all neatly resonate with the traditional moral tones of Swedish social democracy. Murphy also considers the example of Ikea and its power to politicize perceptions of the everyday world. More broadly, his book serves as a model for an anthropological approach to the study of design practice, one that accounts for the various ways in which order is purposefully and meaningfully imposed by designers on the domains of human life, and the consequences those impositions have on the social worlds in which they are embedded.

In the north of Sweden, people herd reindeer for a living. To the south, they build mobile phones. Sweden, once home to the fiercest warriors in the world, has been neutral for almost 200 years. A country of contrasts, Sweden's history as well as its everyday life is described in this lively text. Readers will be fascinated by the dazzling Swedish primary source images that enhance the written material, including photographs of ancient Viking artifacts, unique red wooden farmhouses, important early automobiles, musicians who enchanted the world, artistic and scientific geniuses who changed the course of history, and much more.

Ten new and important essays on design cover Modernism's fortunes in Germany, Italy, Sweden, Britain, Spain, Belgium and the USA; they range in subject matter from world fairs and everyday domestic objects to American West coast architecture and French and Italian furniture. With essays by Tim Benton, Gillian Naylor, Penny Sparke, Wendy Kaplan, Clive Wainwright, Martin Gaughan, Guy Julier, Mimi Wilms, Julian Holder and Paul Greenhalgh. "The object of this book is to diffuse myths. If modernism has, in the past, been both absurdly praised and absurdly damned, Modernism in Design seeks to lift it out of this cycle, and to demonstrate that the modern movement could offer neither Jerusalem nor Babylon ... In this, the book succeeds admirably."—Designer's Journal "While this collection of essays is aimed primarily at design historians and students of design history, hard-pressed practising designers and architects should make room for it on their bookshelves."—Design

Udgivet i forbindelse med udstilling på Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts fra 21.november 1996-2. marts 1997

Swedish Country Interiors showcases homes that have a wide spectrum of interpretations of Swedish country style—rustic, rural, urban, comfortable, family friendly, elegant, simple, complex, grand, humble, and eclectic. Also found are numerous examples of Swedish country living that the homeowners have embraced and derived inspiration from, including wall decorations, functional furnishings, natural upholstery materials, light, and indoor-outdoor living. Rhonda Eleish and Edie van Breems opened the doors to Eleish van Breems Antiques in 1998, specializing in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Swedish antiques. Their company, Eleish van Breems Ltd. has expanded to become a full service Nordic design showroom and they are sought out for their interiors featuring the best hallmarks of Scandinavian design. The authors, who first published Swedish Interiors, and their antiques and interiors have been featured in many national publications, including Country Living, Victoria, and House Beautiful, and they have made appearances on Martha Stewart and HGTV Canada. Rhonda resides in Bridgewater, Connecticut with her daughter Kari and husband Buffer. Edie lives with her family in a 1760 colonial home in Fairfield, Connecticut. As featured in Country Living! Showcases fifteen beautiful homes that highlight the stylish interpretations of Swedish country.

DK Eyewitness Travel's full-color guidebooks to hundreds of destinations around the world truly show you what others only tell you. They have become renowned for their visual excellence, which includes unparalleled photography, 3-D mapping, and specially commissioned cutaway illustrations. DK Eyewitness Travel Guides are the only guides that work equally well for inspiration, as a planning tool, a practical resource while traveling, and a keepsake following any trip. Each guide is packed with the up-to-date, reliable destination information every traveler needs, including extensive hotel and restaurant listings, themed itineraries, lush photography, and numerous maps.

In Stockholm in January of 1945, an assembly of Swedish diplomats and businessmen initiated an organization that was to improve the country's reputation abroad. The new, semi-governmental Swedish Institute was charged with explaining Sweden's policy of neutrality during the war, with encouraging peace-building, and with promoting foreign trade in the new international world order. Original and insightful, this account analyzes the policies, funding, and national narratives of the Swedish Institute. Providing a historical perspective on the politics of Swedish propaganda and explaining how ideas of communication shaped the Institute's work and its representations of Sweden, this record also offers a comparative perspective on American national identity and its inherent notions of national exceptionalism.