California Design 11

California Design 11 accompanied the 1971 California Design exhibition, curated by Eudorah M. Moore. Combining artist-designed furniture with handthrown pots; wooden rocking chairs with hot tubs; plastics with natural materials and photographing (together with photographer Richard Gross) these diverse and exciting objects in California’s spectacular natural landscapes was a breakthrough moment for craft and design. Moore likes to describe her approach as a bridge between design and industry, which was demonstrated and verified by the California Design exhibitions. Her championing of the handmade elevated the work of dozens of artists while illuminating the importance of the crafts. The shows acted as a catalyst between manufacturers, craftspeople, architects and the public. They received international editorial attention. The California Design catalogs are historical records of the fertile imagination and skill of the artists who were represented in the exhibitions. In addition, the creative and forward thinking photography used in the catalogs married craft and design with exteriors to accentuate the beauty and originality of the objects.