G: An Avant Garde Journal of Art, Architecture, Design and Film 1923-1926 Book

An Avant-Garde Journal of Art Architecture Design and Film 1923-1926 The journal G appeared between 1923 and 1926 and featured a unique combination of visual works and writings by some of the most important names in European art and design. The list of contributors to the magazine during its short life reads like a roll-call of the avant- garde: it included Hans Arp, Walter Benjamin, Theo van Doesburg, Naum Gabo, George Grosz, Raoul Hausmann, El Lissitzky, Man Ray, Hans Richter, Mies van der Rohe and Tristan Tzara. What this disparate group had in common was a belief in Gestaltung, or 'elemental form-creation', that placed emphasis on the process and the materials through which cultural objects are produced rather than on any 'ism', style or form. In G, works of engineering, technology and popular culture took their place alongside paintings, films, poems and sculptures, creating a complex and vivid image of urban modernity. While preserving the original graphic design of G, this book makes the journal available for the first time in English, accompanied by an introduction and several incisive essays that explore its contributions to design, film and architecture. Both an invaluable resource to art historians and a delight to all those interested in graphic design, the rebirth of G will fascinate and enthrall a new generation. Michael Jennings is professor of German and associate professor of architecture at Princeton University and the co-author of The Author as Producer: A Life of Walter Benjamin. Detlef Mertins is chair of the department of architecture at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design and the author of The Presence of Mies.Read More