Traditional Forms and Contemporary Design
The "look" of India provides an endless source of inspiration to modern designers in the West, yet this visually stunning photographic survey is the first to examine contemporary work in architecture, design and craft in the sub-continent.
'India Modern' explores the themes used through the centuries by village craftsmen on Hindu temples, Mogul palaces and traditional crafts. The author reveals how modern designers are reinterpreting these forms and returning to the indigenous skills of Indian craftsmen and women to produce works that are praised worldwide for their aesthetic quality. He looks at the exciting developments in modern architecture in India and shows how the power and beauty of India's decorative heritage - the skill of being able to use different patterns, forms and shapes in endless combinations of colours and rhythms - is being utilized in all aspects of the contemporary arts.
Herbert Ypma, together with a team of talented photographers, travelled across India to bring together an array of astonishing images from ancient and modern India. Together with a perceptive and personal test, these images create a source of ideas and an insight into the emergence of an exciting aesthetic that truly combines the old and the new.
