About this ebook
In the world of modern art, the idea of appropriation, or
the conscious manipulation of the recognised world of another artist, has long been
accepted as a legitimate strategy in criticism of the tradition of art
authorship, challenging the context of viewing contemporary work and the
manipulation of omnipresent media images. The world of art itself is fair game
to be pillaged or mined in the production of new art, but there is almost no
recognised equivalent aesthetic in architecture.
Philip Johnson consistently dealt with the concept of
appropriation and used it as a design strategy from the very beginning of his
illustrious career. A singular taste-maker, Philip Johnson influenced art,
architecture and design during the second half of the 20th century. Philip Johnson and His Mischief:
Appropriation in Art and Architecture looks at the concept of appropriation
and how Johnson’s style was influenced first by his mentor, Mies van der Rohe,
and then by post-modern ideas and artists. This title serves to review
Johnson’s body of work and show that, far from being a weakness, his use of
appropriation was a major part of his innovative success.
