Inside the Matrix: The Radical Designs of Ken Isaacs
By Susan Snodgrass.
Chicago, IL, Half Letter Press, 2019
Pages: 80
Dimensions: 5.5 in X 8.5 in
Cover: Paper
Binding: Perfectbound
Process: Offset
Color: full color offset
Edition size: 1000
ISBN: 9-781732-051416
At long last, a new book on the inspiring work of Ken Isaacs! Isaacs's practice has long been a touchstone for Temporary Services and through our press, we are over the moon to be able to publish fresh new writing on his work by Susan Snodgrass. Susan worked closely with Isaacs to exhibit his work in his lifetime and has been able to access his archives to include never-before-published photos of his projects alongside this overview of his richly imaginative designs. This book features the design work of Partner & Partners who drew on Isaacs's own books as inspiration. The book is co-edited by Mairead Case and Half Letter Press. It received partial funding by the Graham Foundation.
From the back cover:
Inside the Matrix: The Radical Designs of Ken Isaacs surveys the highly individual practice of American architect and designer Ken Isaacs (1927-2016), whose populist, DIY designs created from the 1950s to the 1970s challenged conventional architectural concepts in housing, as well as mainstream definitions of modernism. His flexible, accessible plans provided alternative solutions to the spatial and environmental challenges of midcentury modern life, while influencing subsequent generations of architects and designers interested in nomadic architecture, sustainability, and DIY practices.
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Reviews:
Inland Art | Inside the Matrix: The Radical Designs of Ken Isaacs by Paul Krainak • December 28, 2019
Metropolis | Ken Isaacs Wanted to Retool the Way We Live by Justin Kamp • February 18, 2020
New City | Before the Tiny House: Inside the Matrix Dives Into the Design Legacy of Ken Isaacs by Michael Workman • April 14, 2020
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Reivew of "Inside the Matrix" book
Ken Isaacs was an important designer, and it is great to finally have an intelligent, well written, thoroughly researched, and well illustrated study his work!