David Easton
David Easton is considered to be one of the world’s most sought-after interior designers. While he has made his name as a neoclassicist, his erudition within the realms of architecture and decoration is wide-ranging.
Easton received his architecture degree from Pratt Institute, in 1963, where he studied with Sibyl Moholy-Nagy—the widow of one of the founders of the Bauhaus, László Moholy-Nagy. Upon graduation, he received the Fontainebleau scholarship, which enabled him to travel and study in Europe. When he returned, he took a position with the New York designer Edward Wormley, whose Dunbar furniture line is now part of the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art. In 1967, he joined the venerable firm of Parish-Hadley, where he worked in both the architecture and decoration departments. There, he admits to being “seduced by decoration.” Easton founded his own firm in 1972, and quickly gained recognition for his classically inspired, traditional interiors. In the 1980s, his opulent English-style interiors became emblems of the age.
In recent years, he has shifted to a more streamlined, contemporary aesthetic—a response to his own shifting tastes and those of his clients. “It’s necessary to move forward,” says Easton. “I see a desire to simplify life, and for simpler interiors. I think the future will be about a more intelligent use of resources and a more intelligent support of lifestyles.”
In addition to his residential work, Easton has designed collections for Lee Jofa (fabrics and upholstered furniture), Safavieh (carpets), Guy Chaddock (furniture), Walters Wicker (outdoor furniture), Cole and Son Ltd. (wallpaper), and Visual Comfort (lighting).
David Easton was named to the Interior Design Hall of Fame in 1992, and has twice been presented with Classical America’s Arthur Ross Award. Most recently, his peers honored him with the “Lifetime Achievement” Award at London’s Design and Decoration Awards. Architectural Digest has included Easton in its Top 100 Designers in the World a record nine times.
Announcements
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy by John Lobell
Louis Kahn: Architecture as Philosophy
By John Lobell
Publisher: The Monacelli Press
Published: June 2020
Noted Louis I.Kahn expert John Lobell explores how Kahn’s focus on structure, respect for materials, clarity of program, and reverence for details come together to manifest an overall philosophy.
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn by Harriet Pattison
Our Days Are Like Full Years: A Memoir with Letters from Louis Kahn
By Harriet Pattison
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: October 2020
An intimate glimpse into the professional and romantic relationship between Harriet Pattison and the renowned architect Louis Kahn. Harriet Pattison, FASLA, is a distinguished landscape architect. She was Louis Kahn’s romantic partner from 1959 to 1974, and his collaborator on the landscapes of the Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, and the F.D.R. Memorial/Four Freedoms Park, New York. She is the mother of their son, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn.
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
Louis I. Kahn: The Nordic Latitudes
By Per Olaf Fjeld and Emily Randall Fjeld
Publisher: University of Arkansas Press
Published: October 4, 2019
A new and personal reading of the architecture, teachings, and legacy of Louis I. Kahn from Per Olaf Fjeld’s perspective as a former student. The book explores Kahn’s life and work, offering a unique take on one of the twentieth century’s most important architects. Kahn’s Nordic and European ties are emphasized in this study that also covers his early childhood in Estonia, his travels, and his relationships with other architects, including the Norwegian architect Arne Korsmo.
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Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context by David Raizman
Reading Graphic Design History: Image, Text, and Context
By David Raizman
Publisher: Bloomsbury Visual Arts
Published: December 2020
An innovative approach to graphic design that uses a series of key artifacts from the history of print culture in light of their specific historical contexts. It encourages the reader to look carefully and critically at print advertising, illustration, posters, magazine art direction, and typography, often addressing issues of class, race, and gender.
David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian by Rick Poynor
David King: Designer, Activist, Visual Historian
By Rick Poynor
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: September 2020
A comprehensive overview of the work and legacy of David King (1943–2016), whose fascinating career bridged journalism, graphic design, photography, and collecting. King launched his career at Britain’s Sunday Times Magazine in the 1960s, starting as a designer and later branching out into image-led journalism, blending political activism with his design work.
Teaching Graphic Design History by Steven Heller
Teaching Graphic Design History
By Steven Heller
Publisher: Allworth Press
Published: June 2019
An examination of the concerted efforts, happy accidents, and key influences of the practice throughout the years, Teaching Graphic Design History is an illuminating resource for students, practitioners, and future teachers of the subject.
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