Synopses & Reviews
A ground swell is coming: our shores are about to be swept by Asia. Or the Far East, to be more precise. This book presents an extraordinary vision of the world based on clarity and simplicity, on emotion and reason, on a sensitive yet lofty appreciation of things. Everyday objects such as bowls, baskets and paper display an extreme degree of refinement, shaping a lifestyle in which materials, colors and patterns are interwoven in a wonderfully light and evocative way. This Asian approach to design is so subtle and universal that it will lend harmony and balance to every interior.
MATERIALS
Above all else, materials must be authentic. Wood, lacquer, clay, bamboo, rattan, paper and silk are all crafted, produced and reproduced with constant respect for the essence of each material.
COLORS
Cinnabar red, imperial yellow, sapphire blue, mysterious black-- a subtle symbolism governs the pure, bright colors found throughout the Far East.
PATTERNS
Patterns range from geometric simplicity (point and line, zigzag) to figurative complexity (based on plant and animal motifs) via calligraphy with its highly decorative ideograms.
SHAPES
Highly refined shapes develop a powerful vocabulary of legibility and instant clarity. Yet at the same time they embody a complexity that endows every object with multifaceted appeal.
Synopsis
The last decade has witnessed an unprecedented influx to the West of furniture and decorative arts from Asia that have become widely used in contemporary interior design.
Asian Style presents a vast range of ideas that show how Asian objects and furnishings can be integrated into Western design schemes and offers a stimulating variety of decorative schemes and patterns incorporating pieces from China, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. The specially photographed projects accompanied by an informative text focus on the use of forms, colors, textures and materials that make the Asian approach to design so unique. Creative detail features show how you can create elegant effects with objects that are readily available in the West.
Featuring a range of objects from ceramics, textiles and lacquers to furniture and architectural details, Asian Style will serve as the perfect guide for those wanting contemporary ideas on displaying oriental objects creatively in the modern home.
175 illustrations
About the Author
Designer
Annie Desgrippes and photographer
Frédéric Morellec previously worked together on the photographs for
Les Outils de la Campagne (Flammarion). For this new series of books on interior decoration they have selected and skillfully presented nearly two hundred items that reflect the Asian lifestyle.
Gilles De Bure is a journalist who writes regularly for magazines such as Le Journal des Arts, L'Oeil, and Technikart. He has also authored nearly a dozen books on art, architecture and design, including Le Mobilier Comtemporain Français 1965-1980 (Editions du Regard) and Jean Nouvel (Artémis).