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Cultural History as a Thematic Study: Analyzing Advertisements to Interpret American Home Design
Author(s) -
Patton Angela H.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of interior design
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.229
H-Index - 13
eISSN - 1939-1668
pISSN - 1071-7641
DOI - 10.1111/j.1939-1668.1998.tb00326.x
Subject(s) - artifact (error) , design history , architecture , interior design , cultural history , visual arts , the arts , aesthetics , advertising , engineering , graphic design , architectural engineering , sociology , art , computer science , anthropology , business , computer vision
The traditional approach to teaching the history of interior design is through study of the decorative arts and architecture. This confines design to artifacts of high culture and visual discourse. We are interested in expanding the history of interior design beyond appearances and artifact to include the social and cultural forces that shape the design process. We offer an interdisciplinary approach for the study of design history. In particular, we present links between marketing and design. Studying design history through marketing and consumer culture provides valuable insight into design that is not available through the decorative arts and architecture. Advertising has played a central role in shaping the American home aesthetic. By examining advertisements as cultural artifacts, we come to a new understanding about design and its history.