Promotions - Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles 2023 -

Alloys takes a deep dive into a brief but pivotal moment in architecture in the US, spotlighting the intertwining of sculpture and architecture in the years following WW II. Historian and curator Marin Sullivan recounts how, in an unprecedented manner, prominent architects of the postwar era collaborated closely with major artists to envision and create monumental, site-specific sculptures that transformed building spaces into immersive art experiences. These artworks, as illustrated in the book's many color and black-and-white images, frequently utilized the same industrial materials as the sites for which they were created and harmoniously enhanced their environments. Sullivan's thesis centers on the superior creative outcomes generated by the architect-artist relationships and collaborations common to this mid-century movement. The affinity between the fields of architecture and sculpture is central to Sullivan's work, and she expertly demonstrates how the synergy harnessed in this particular movement in American mid-century architecture remains relevant today. The book is meticulously researched and includes a substantial notes section and a detailed index.Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty.

The five chronological chapters in this volume incorporate some 20 biographical essays on the most influential furniture designers in the US during the 20th century. Fitzgerald (Smithsonian Institute/George Washington Univ. Decorative Arts and Design History Masters Program) focuses on furniture that has had the greatest impact on people's way of living. Beginning with inspirations from the Arts and Crafts movement and continuing through the second decade of the 21st century, Fitzgerald provides a detailed look at the designers, those who influenced them, and those who were influenced by them. This grants the reader a good insight into the designers' thinking about and response to the cultural expectations of the era. Two chapters deal with Knoll International and Herman Miller, the largest manufacturers of so-called mid-century modern inspirations. Although these companies' primary business was corporate, several pieces became prized residential additions. The book is not only rich in illustrations (color and black-and-white depictions of various pieces of furniture), but it provides a clear understanding of the spaces in which they may have resided.Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readers.

Wharton's opening definition of what a model may be is followed in chapter 2 by an exploration of the depictions and uses of cadavers, from Vesalius in 1543 to the "Lucy-named" cadavers in medical schools today. Digitized cadavers are faulted for their experiential weakness. Chapter 3, "Building Model/Architecture/Politics," the book's cynosure, concerns the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, a building of unrivaled significance for Christians, Jews, and Moslems. Wharton focuses on the political and historical nature of Holy Sepulchre models fabricated by Franciscans from drawings by Alberti and Amico that were widely disseminated for political and religious reasons. The chapter includes a positive assessment of the depiction of Jerusalem buildings in the 2007 video game "Assassin's Creed," but a negative one for the game's ethics. In chapter 4 Wharton castigates building information modeling (BIM) for producing buildings profitably but soullessly, by algorithm. Wharton characterizes BIM software as black boxes in their use for weather predictive climate models, the bane of climate change deniers. In conclusion, Wharton calls for linguistic and material discourse to give models meaning. Her historical knowledge and critical acumen are astonishing and riveting throughout the book.Summing Up: Essential. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals.