Are Clothes Modern?
Rudofsky's incisive observations on the historical, social and ethical issues relating to how we humans clothe ourselves. "Are Clothes Modern?" is a fascinating must-have for anyone interested in the history of dressing, the phenomenon of fashion trends, body adornment, differing cultural views of the body beautiful and the threads of similarities within fashions of differing cultures through the ages. The book is illustrated throughout with photographs, diagrams, period advertising, tattoos depicting body ornamentation and drawings of dress from numerous cultures past and present -- up to 1947(a favorite being a diagram of ALL the possibilities for button placement on a garment).
In 1944 Mr.Rudofsky was Director of Apparel Research at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). In 1945 he curated the exhibition: 'Are Clothes Modern' and was the author of the exhibition's catalog. He also designed figures used in the galleries, sculpted by Nivola for the MoMA exhibition, that corresponded to various silhouettes and reflected periods and tastes in Western fashion. This title, published two years later, is essentially an expansion on the content of that exhibition. Beautifully produced by the Chicago publisher, Paul Theobald and Co., noted for its well designed books relating to the visual arts and social issues (and sadly, no longer in business). Mr. Rudofsky's many other books, on diverse subjects, are more than worthy of investigation as well as ownership.
Behind the Picture Window
Architecture Without Architects
The Kimono Mind
Streets For People
The Unfashionable Human Body
The Prodigious Builders
Now I Lay Me Down To Eat
