The Arts Society Steyning present their June talk; Making Do: Utility Post-War Design & the Festival of Britain, c.1939-1951, by Vivienne Lawes.
The war years brought innovations now common in competitive markets: limited variety, low-cost materials and streamlining. Some utility furniture designs rooted in Arts & Crafts principles still bear scrutiny.
The concept of industrial design took hold in this period when new technologies influenced product design in mass production. Exploring major exhibitions like 'Britain Can Make It' and 'The Festival of Britain', this lecture highlights key characteristics of period style. Vivienne is an art historian, curator, author and journalist with over 25 years’ experience in the art market. She teaches at several Higher Education institutions and in January 2021 received the Geoffrey Bond Bursary for Art as an ‘outstanding educator’.
Picture credit: TASS via Southbank Centre.