21 December 2009

Mid-Century Modern Design . . . for Kids !

Kid Made Modern  
By Todd Oldham
Published by Ammo.
Length: 192 pp.
ISBN: 978-1-934429-36-5.
Intended audience: Age 8 & up (& up!).



This activity / craft / art book is inspired by the great Mid-Century modern designers — including Isamu Noguchi, Alexander Girard, and Charles & Ray Eames — as the basis for dozens of creative activity.  Tutorials introduce particular techniques including full-color photos of kids engaged in these creative activities.



Designer Todd Oldham shares his love of mid-century design ideas and transforms them into creative, colorful, and thought-provoking projects for kids.  Oldham was originally a couture fashion designer with boutiques in New York and a commentator on MTV's House of Style.  Oldham has designed dorm room furnishings for Target.  He's presently developing a television program based on his earlier book Handmade Modern.



This book features the use of inexpensive, recycled, and easily accessible materials for the projects.  Easy step-by-step instructions illustrated with photographs makes this a great source for creative inspiration during the cold, blustery days of winter.  The book is ostensibly a craft project book encouraging children to produce their own handmade art, it simultaneously introduces them to the greats of modern American design of the last century.

If you click on this sentence, you can download the pattern pages for creating a Noguchi-esque paper cut-out sculpture.

Kid Made Modern includes projects inspired by Alexander Calder, Jack Lenor Larsen, George Nelson, Paul Rand, and Mary & Russel Wright (in addition to the iconic designers noted above).

This inspirational do-it-yourself book could be a great gift for aspiring young artists.

3 comments:

  1. These are really modern design for the kids. The kids will have a lot of fun while seen these.

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  2. this looks like fun! just got the Eames house of cards for Christmas. even with the notches cut in my structures aren't too sturdy yet....

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  3. so glad to hear you got the cards for Christmas. excellent. you should take photos of what you build and post on Flickr !

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