Scandinavian Design

Most 20th-century accounts of Scandinavian design have depended on clichd descriptors such as 'humane', 'democratic', 'organic' and 'blond'. The authors of the twelve highly stimulating essays in this new anthology on the subject, skilfully assembled by design historian Kjetil Fallan, overtly reject those tired terms and, instead, offer 21st-century readers a reinvigorated account that is richer, more diverse and, most importantly, more analytical and scholarly. The book brings together new information, new approaches and a new set of narratives that make us look again at the idea of Scandinavian design. These alternative histories challenge existing orthodoxies and, as such, are guaranteed to become key design historical texts of the 21st century. * Professor Penny Sparke, Kingston University, London * This landmark book nudges our understanding of Scandinavian design beyond IKEA and Hans Wegner's teak chairs. Heralded for some time, the subject has, until now, offered a frustratingly limited selection of literature in English. From the Reverse Vending Machine's 'Hole in the Wall' to Oslo's streamlined 'Goldfish' trams, design stars like Jacob Jensen to the Swedish Cooperative Union's plastic grocery bags and 'graffiti board', Scandinavian Design covers material that will appeal to casual readers. But its smart, knowledgeable essays make this book a first stop for anyone interested in the full story of Scandinavian design. * Elizabeth Guffey, Purchase College State University of New York *

Kjetil Fallan is Associate Professor of Design History in the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas at the University of Oslo, Norway, and the author of Design History (Berg, 2010).

Introduction, Kjetil Fallan, University of Oslo, Norway 1. A Historiography of Scandinavian Design Kjetil Fallan, Anders V. Munch, University of Southern Denmark, Pekka Korvenmaa, Aalto University, Finland; Espen Johnsen, University of Oslo, Norway, Sara Kristoffersson and Christina Zetterlund, both Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Sweden PART 1: NETWORKS 2. 'What's Worth Copying Is Worth Protecting': Applied Art and the Evolution of Danish Copyright Law, Stina Teilmann-Lock, University of Copenhagen, Denmark 3. Hand-Woven Fabrics by the Yard: Unveiling Modern Design Industry of the Interwar Period, Leena Svinhufvud, Design Museum Helsinki, Finland 4. Designing the 'Consumer in Infinity': The Swedish Co-operative Union's New Consumer Policy, c. 1970, Helena Mattsson, Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden 5. Designing a Hole in the Wall: The Reverse Vending Machine as Socio-Technical System and Environmental Infrastructure, Finn Arne Jrgensen, Ume University, Sweden PART 2: APPROPRIATIONS 6. Just Decoration? Ideology and Design in Early Twentieth Century Sweden, Christina Zetterlund, Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design, Sweden 7. Goldfish Memories: Recounting Oslo's Streamlined Aluminium Trams, Kjetil Fallan, University of Oslo, Norway 8. Creature Comforts: Soft Sofas and the Demise of Modernist Morality in 1970s Finland, Minna Sarantola-Weiss, Helsinki City Museum, Finland 9. Jacob Jensen and the Lifa Kitchen: Branding the 'Lifestyle Kitchen' with Designer Personality and Mythology, Hans-Christian Jensen, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark PART 3: MEDIATIONS 10. Something Old, Something New, Something Stolen, Something Blue: Designing a Chocolate Bar, Stig Kvaal and Per stby, both Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway 11. Exhibitable Furniture: Interpreting Images of Design, Malene Breunig, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark 12. The Advantages of Being Swedish: Volvo in America, Jeff Werner, Stockholm University, Sweden 13. From Policies To Politics: Finnish Design on the Ideological Battlefield in the 1960s and 1970s, Pekka Korvenmaa, Aalto University, Finland Epilogue, Kjetil Fallan Bibliography Index