Synopsis
False Flat documents the vitality of the current design scene in The Netherlands, one of today's most important centers of innovation and experimentation in architecture, urban planning, industrial design, and graphic design. Contemporary Dutch designers artfully recast and reinterpret known forms and modernist archetypes through technological know-how, creativity, and wit. The authors compare this transformation to the "false flat" of the subtly sloping Dutch landscape - the product of centuries of reclaiming territory from the waters of the North Sea and the Rhine. Written by Aaron Betsky with Adam Eeuwens, and designed by acclaimed Dutch graphic artist Irma Boom, False Flat brings to life the dynamism, diversity, and underlying structures of a unique and prolific design culture.
Library Journal
As shown in this elegant book, much of the design in today's world may have been inherited from the Dutch. As the human population continues to multiply and urbanize, we will undoubtedly live in increasingly planned environments. The Dutch have a head start, since they have been reclaiming land and creating new settlements for centuries. With the help of designer Irma Boom, writer-curators Betsky and Eeuwens showcase contemporary design from the Netherlands through 550 color illustrations and thoughtful essays that help further establish the Dutch sensibility and its government's support for culture. The authors also consider high modernist Rem Koolhaas the presiding genius of Dutch design. If this collection is indeed representative, then full-frontal female nudes are quite prominent in Dutch design. North American readers will do double takes. An evocative, witty product for contemporary European design collections.-David R. Conn, Surrey P.L., B.C. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.