Chroma

Designers and architects have to make decisions regarding color every day. But how does one find the necessary inspiration? The appropriate color? How do other designers and artists deal with the issue? With "Chroma," the Greek word for color, as its title, this illustrated book provides answers to these questions and makes it clear that color is much more than mere decoration – it is one of the central problems of creative work. In the process, "Chroma" embraces the sensuous experience of color, inspiring and seducing the reader with unusual projects, from industrial products to color field painting. The book presents works by younger designers like Stefan Diez and Arik Levy as well as famous artists like Ellsworth Kelly.

All of the works are presented in large-scale reproductions and also in a kind of color gradient, in which they are assigned to the chapters "monochromatic," "multichromatic," and "achromatic." The spectrum encompasses all conceivable shades and combinations, from brilliant and colorful through tasteful and subdued all the way to black-and-white contrasts. An additional chapter analyzes the work of outstanding artists, architects, and designers like Gerhard Richter, Konstantin Grcic, and Sauerbruch Hutton, who grapple with color to an unusual degree and have formulated characteristic chromatic worlds. An alphabetical index provides background information on the artists and studios selected.

The interior architect Barbara Glasner is a consultant and freelance curator for design and architecture based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. From 2001 to 2007, in collaboration with the German Design Council, she supervised the various editions of the highly successful design project “ideal house cologne,” where internationally renowned designers such as Zaha Hadid, Hella Jongerius, Konstantin Grcic, Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Naoto Fukasawa and Dieter Rams presented their visions for future living, at the International Furniture Fair Cologne. Her expertise in this field is further demonstrated by the various exhibitions she has curated and her participation in exhibitions, trade fairs, and events worldwide. In 2008, together with Ursula Schöndeling und Petra Schmidt, Glasner edited the book “Patterns 2. Design, Art and Architecture” published by Birkhäuser Verlag.

Petra Schmidt is an independent author and consultant in Frankfurt am Main. She teaches theory of design at the Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design and writes for art and design magazines such as art and Frame. After studying theater, film, and media in Frankfurt, she worked for various design firms and was editor in chief of the design journal form from 1999 to 2007. She is co-editor of the books “Patterns” and “Patterns 2. Design, Art and Architecture,” published by Birkhäuser Verlag in 2005 and 2008 respectively. Her most recent publication is the book “Unfolded. Paper in Design, Art, Architecture and Industry,” which she wrote in collaboration with Nicola Stattmann (Birkhäuser 2009).