Mary Alice Casto, assistant professor in textiles, merchandising and fashion design, will present the lecture “For Modern Living: Style and Design in Mid-Century Textiles” at 2 p.m. June 11 in the Home Economics Building, Room 31. The public lecture, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a reception in the gallery.
In 1948, an exhibition titled “For Modern Living” opened at the Detroit Institute of Arts featuring a spectrum of everyday designed objects that reflected the growing public appeal of modern design.
The objects were selected to show, “the result(s) of a good understanding of special individual problem(s),” or that form meets function, which is a hallmark of modern design. Textile design in the postwar era reflected this philosophy through experimentation with innovative motifs and color combinations as well as the many new synthetic fibers on the market.
The lecture will discuss how designers, such as Alexander Girard, thoughtfully considered function and visual appeal in their design choices. It will also address how the new and modern applications of pattern, color and fiber play a role in fulfilling consumers’ desire to demonstrate good taste in their personal appearance and in their homes.
