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Charlotte Ashby, Modernism in Scandinavia: Art, Architecture and Design ; Bloomsbury (London, 2017), 256 pp. incl. 16 colour and 34 b&w ills; ISBN: 9781474224307 ; £21.99
‘North’ and ‘South’ define geographical domains of specific character and identity. Contrasting the sun-drenched classical landscape of the Mediterranean is the Nordic world, characterised by a low-set sun, ice and snow, forests, fjords, lakes and glacier-etched granite valleys. Owing to its isolation, Scandinavia's rural society persisted well into the early twentieth century. Traditional values and national identity have thus played an important role in defining Nordic art, design and architecture. Yet, from the 1890s through the twentieth century, art, society, culture and politics in the north have also been strongly associated with Modernism. The tension between tradition and modernity forms intertwining strands in Charlotte Ashby's examination of the art, design and building of the Nordic countries.
Rather than presenting a broad overview, Ashby builds a narrative around a set of forty-three case studies from the mid-nineteenth century to 1970, offering detailed examination of selected objects, artworks, buildings and exhibition events. This approach provides the opportunity to analyse the broader social and cultural history of the region, while simultaneously diving deep into the intellectual and artistic influences on each work. This ensures discussion...