A Modern Life (Art and Design in British Columbia 1945-60)

In 1949, the forest magnate H.R. MacMillan opened an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery entitled “Design for Living,” a show that brought together design and artistic communities to create four imaginary postwar households. It also heralded an unprecedented level of cooperation between industry, artists and craftspeople—a relationship that seemed to hold great promise for the development of art, furniture and craft.

The celebration of the cooperative spirit between architects, artists and designers, between potters, weavers and gardeners is central to A Modern Life, which examines the coming together of what were often very separate disciplines post-World War II, as well as the trendsetting design and use of new building and construction materials (like plywood and cement) and the impact these had on the more traditional art community.

A Modern Life demonstrates that the ideas of the artistic and design community as a whole during this vibrant period—an era of optimism and promise for the future—have a continued relevance and importance for our understanding of the history of the modern era and the relationship of the built environment to the extraordinary landscape of British Columbia.

Includes more than 200 illustrations, including 60 in full color. A co-publication with the Vancouver Art Gallery.