Color by Design

Book excerpt: A beautifully presented survey of design and the applied arts, explored not by use, material, form, or date . . . but by color. The V&A Book of Color in Design is attractively simple: a celebration and exploration of color, as revealed through objects in the world-class collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Structured by color, it offers fascinating insights into the choices made by designers and makers from across the world and throughout history. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction that considers the history, symbolism, and use of an individual color. Objects—from items of jewelry, textiles, glassware, and ceramics to furniture and more—are reproduced in a visual selection that explores the varied hues of every color. However different objects within each section may be in their detail and meaning, they are united by their common color, revealing surprising connections between them. Throughout, narrative captions bring together disparate items from across the V&A’s collection to explore the universal significance of color in art and design. Beautifully designed, this highly visual, color-led survey of design and the applied arts is a compelling sourcebook with broad appeal for anyone interested or involved in all aspects of visual culture.