Der Wert der Form

Overview & Synopsis

In the modern era, not only do objects themselves multiply seemingly effortlessly, but so do their design forms. In a sociological reexamination of European design history from the Renaissance to the Bauhaus, this book reconstructs this process as a multifaceted enhancement of the aesthetic value of form. The luxury economy of early modern courts and cities separates the forms of objects from their artisanal execution, concentrating and enhancing them. The market society that emerged in the 18th century ruthlessly exploits this abundance. The resulting loss of a central aesthetic authority sparks a debate over form. Through three case studies, the book examines the aesthetic resources that emerged from this: the musealization of material heritage, the invention of craftsmanship, and the enchantment of technology. ›Modernity‹ thus appears as an aesthetic dynamic of intensification, driven by ever-new revaluations of the value of form.