Postmodern design, transformations of craft

The impact of high style on the hand-made elements of craft is an ongoing, if contentious, phenomenon. The Lamar Dodd School of Art hosts a lecture by a curator from the Victoria and Albert Museum, who will talk about the recent V & A exhibition exploring this topic.

Glenn Adamson, Deputy Head of Research and Head of Graduate Studies at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, will present a lecture at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at 5:30 p.m. on April 10 in room S151. His lecture, which will focus on recent transformations of craft, as viewed through the lens of his experience curating the exhibition, ‘Postmodernism: Style and Subversion, 1970-1990,’ is free and the public is invited to attend.

In addition to behind-the-scenes images and insights about putting together this major exhibition, on display at the Victoria and Albert Kensington from September 2011 -January 2012 and now part of a touring exhibition, Adamson’s talk will explore stories of production during the period. How were postmodern buildings and objects made? What do these stories about craft and industry tell us about the postmodern moment? And how should we look at the history of postmodern craft and design from the perspective of the present day?

Adamson’s duties at the Victoria and Albert Museum, the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, include leading a graduate program of study in the history of design. He serves as co-editor of the tri-annual Journal of Modern Craft, and is the author of Thinking Through Craft (Berg Publishers/V&A Publications) and an anthology entitled The Craft Reader (Berg, 2010).  His other publications include Industrial Strength Design: How Brooks Stevens Shaped Your World (MIT Press), and Gord Peteran: Furniture Meets Its Maker (Milwaukee Art Museum).

Adamson’s lecture is part of the Visiting Artists and Scholars Lecture Series in the school art, located at 270 River Road. S151 in located on the first floor of the building. For more information, visit http://www.art.uga.edu.