What Is…? Who Is/Was…?
Artspeak: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1945 to the Present. Atkins,Robert. 2nd ed. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 1997. (N6490 A87 1997 ART/ARCH REF) Using the categories who, when, where and what the author presents a glossary of ideas, movements and terminology from the post-1945 world of art. Also includes cross-references and a handy timeline of movements.
ArtSpoke: A Guide to Contemporary Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1848-1944. Robert Atkins. NewYork: Abbeville Press, 1993. (N6447 A85 1993 ART/ARCH REF) Same format as ArtSpeak, but for an earlier period.
Contemporary Designers. Sara Pendergast, editor. 3rd ed. Detroit: St. James Press, 1996. (NK1390 C655 1996 ART/ARCH REF) Entries provide in-depth biographical information on important contemporary designers from avariety of design fields including industrial design.
The Conran Directory of Design. Stephen Bayley, ed. New York: Villard Books, 1985. (NK1165 C6 1985 ART/ARCH REF) Includes several introductory essays on major developments in the modern period, in addition to entries listed alphabetically by designer/firm name, movement or type of product. Index of product types is also provided at the end of this directory.
The Design Encyclopedia. Mel Byars. New York: Wiley, 1994. (NK1370 B93 1994 ART/ARCH REF) Design of the 20th Century. Charlotte & Peter Fiell. New York: Taschen, 1999. (NK1390 F525 1999 ART/ARCH REF) A small (in size) A-Z catalogue packed with entries describing specific objects, designers, styles, and periods. Coverage is mostly of North America and Europe. Many entries include cross references and provide ample reproductions in color with some in black-and-white. A timeline is presented at the end of the book. A nice companion to Industrial Design A-Z (TS171 F54 2000 ART/ARCH REF).
Dictionary of 20th-Century Design. John Pile. New York: Facts on File, 1990. (NK1390 P53 1990 ART/ARCH REF) In addition to biographical entries, this work offers descriptions of periods, styles, movements, and materials and techniques particular to design. Also lists museums, design schools, and organizations.
Directory of Industrial Designers. Industrial Designers Society of America. (TS171 A1 I49315 current year in ART/ARCH REF)
Glossary of Art, Architecture, & Design Since 1945. Walker, John A. 3rd ed., rev. and enl. Boston: G.K. Hall, 1992. (N34 W34 1992 ART/ARCH REF) Similar to Artspeak this is a glossary of terms in the art and design fields that includes harder to find and perhaps forgotten descriptions of movements, buzzwords and concepts such as the “Grey Organization (GO)” and “Unexpressionism”.
Industrial Design A-Z. Charlotte & Peter Fiell. Koln; London: Taschen, 2000. (TS171 F54 2000 ART/ARCH REF) Concise entries describe over 300 designers and design firms/companies (including Airstream, Charles Babbage, Braun, Thomas Crapper, Lamborghini, and Phillipe Starck). Each entry is complimented by color and/or black and white photos of the work described. Case studies of ubiquitous items such as the iron, bicycle
and television along with a timeline are included at the end.
