Challenging the stereotypes of Scandinavian design, these essays explore design in Denmark, Norway and Sweden and assess the different roles that Finland and the wider Nordic region had in forming an image of Scandinavian design throughout the world. By examining the legacy of Nordic design and its global impact, editors Astrid Skjerven and Rachel Gotlieb shed light on the development of national and regional design identities and their historical associations. Authors investigate the transnational circulation of ideas throughout the later 20th century and consider the influences on design practices, production and consumerism. They look at how different countries negotiated and promoted Nordic branding and ideology, and offer new perspectives on design in relation to sustainability, changing economies and indigenous traditions. A range of leading international scholars evaluate the popularity of Nordic style in Soviet material culture, the influence on jewellery design in post-war Britain, the impact of national design conferences, exhibitions, and education in Europe, the USA, Canada and Japan. Drawing from a wealth of archival material and interviews with designers, makers and other stakeholders, this book reveals a lesser-known history of cross-cultural collaborations, exhibition production and tensions between mainstream and indigenous design in Scandinavia. Transnational Discourses in Nordic Design also provides an insight into some of the authors' own design practices and reveals the challenges facing Nordic designers today.

Explores the impact and legacy of Nordic design throughout the later 20th century and reconsiders how it has influenced contemporary design practice.

About the Author
Rachel Gotlieb, PhD is an independent design historian and curator. Astrid Skjerven is Professor of Design Theory in the Department of Product Design at Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway.

Reviews
This collection makes a valuable contribution understanding of the varied currents of transnational exchange that shaped Nordic design. The collection uncovers some of the diverse rhetorics employed to shape the reception of Nordic design to different purposes, particularly in the context of the Cold War. * Charlotte Ashby, Programme Director for Art History Certificate Programmes, School of Historical Studies, Birkbeck, University of London, UK *



Book Information
ISBN 9781350249202
Author Astrid Skjerven
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC