Fragments of Utopia: Collage Reflections of Heroic Modernism Book

The book reproduces a series of the collages made by David Wild. Their subject is modern architecture in the first half of the twentieth century: in the Netherlands, in Russia, and in the work of Le Corbusier. The method of the book is to show a collage on a right-hand page; then on the facing page is a prose commentary by Wild and supporting smaller images. Introducing the book, David Wild explains that the impulse for this work lies in the aftermath of a fire in his house: his scorched books lent themselves to collage. He goes on to sketch the cultural-political climate in Britain over the last 40 years: the backdrop to his work as an architect and (less directly) to this book. In the opening section on the Netherlands, the leading theme is an architecture of social equity and continuity. Rooted in old cultural traditions, and in the particular ?football-pitch? landscape of the country, modern architecture could realise some of its dreams in everyday buildings. Postage stamps play an active part in many of the book?s collages, and especially in this section: the design of stamps flourished in the Netherlands, through the enlightened patronage of the Dutch post office ? with several architects designing stamps too. Politics and history come to prominence in the Russian section, as a motivating force in the work of the early 1920s, and then as a heavy burden ? with the onset of totalitarian control and repression. At the centre of the discussion here is the architecture of constructivism: formally brilliant, but with a clear social programme. Flight and the exploration of space are recurring topics in this section, as another and particularly Russian dimension of utopian striving The work of Le Corbusier, in Europe, North and South America, Russia and India, is treated in the third section. Le Corbusier is presented as a brilliant artist, a master architect of the greatest skill and the greatest ambition ? and without scruple in pursuing commissions. The images and text follow him into the years after the Second World War, culminating in the work in India. Here there is a vision of another kind of politics, of co-operation and non-violence. Fragments of utopia has been printed in the Netherlands by one of the best colour printers (Drukkerij Rosbeek). The book?s design and manufacture seek to match the ideals of its topic: an artefact with distinct material qualities, and fully serviceable.Read More