Christopher Dresser: Design Pioneer (Victoria and Albert Museum)

Christopher Dresser (18341904) is one of the most influential British designers of all time and he is widely regarded as Britains first independent industrial designer. His works still look remarkably modern more than a century later. Like his contemporary William Morris, Dresser advocated for an honesty of materials, but unlike Morris he fully embraced industrial techniques, designing for the growing consumer market. Dressers fascination with the arts of Japan and his advocacy of Owen Joness principle that ornament should be geometrical in form resulted in a range of designs that look surprisingly minimal for their time. Affordable, well-designed, functional and commercially successful, the objects that Dresser designed wallpapers, textiles, carpets, ceramics, furniture and, most famously, metalwork were industrially produced by manufacturers across the UK, the US and continental Europe. This compact, beautifully produced book on the work of Christopher Dresser begins with a brief introduction to his life and work before presenting 75 of his most important pieces, each accompanied by a narrative-style caption. It will appeal to anyone interested in modern design. With 117 illustrations in colour