German Postwar Modern

Focus on Postwar Modern Architecture (and occasionally Design and Art) in Germany, its neighbouring countries and the world

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Tom Slick Residence (1957) in San Antonio, TX, USA, by Ford O' Neil. Photo by Maynard L. Parker.

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As I recently discovered, maneuvering the overabundance of literature on Charles Rennie Mackintosh can be quite a challenge when you’re looking for a starting point that offers both orientation and profoundness. Accidentally I came across the present catalogue that accompanied a touring exhibition at the Glasgow Museums, the Met in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago and the LACMA: edited by Wendy Kaplan and published by Abbeville in 1996, „Charles Rennie Mackintosh“ first of all contains a comprehensive bibliography that references important literature and thus provides a guide to reference works, articles and monographs. 

The essays included in the book are of equal quality and discuss a broad range of topics related to the life and work of Charles Rennie Mackintosh: on the one hand they paint a fascinating portrait of Glasgow as a cosmopolitan backdrop of and inspiration for the development of his oeuvre. On the other hand they discuss the social structure of the city and how e.g. social structuring shaped the interiors Mackintosh designed for wealthy clients. The same socio-historical approach also leads to the recognition of his tea rooms as being significantly shaped by social practices of the time.

At the same time CRM’s works often included collaboration and shared authorship of component parts, a difficult aspect of his work that surely poses problems for museums, the art market and scholarship alike. Yet it is a necessary acknowledgment that doesn’t discount Mackintosh’s originality but sheds light on the actual design and production processes behind each of his works.

Of course the catalogue also highlights Mackintosh’s most important works but it is the smart discussion of context, cultural aspects and personal relationships that makes it such a valuable and insightful read. Moreover, it is beautifully illustrated with photographs and drawings that round out this highly recommended publication!

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Workshop Building of the Opera (1954-57) in Cologne, Germany, by Wilhelm Riphahn. Photo from July 2026.

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Camino Theater (1965) of Los Angeles City College in Los Angeles, CA, USA, by Allison and Rible. Photo by Maynard L. Parker.

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Liu Wei, Untitled, 2014-17, oil on canvas, 150 x 300 cm.

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Bert and Phyllis Geller House III (1978) in Lawrence, NY, USA, by Jane Yu. Photo by Paul Varchol.

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Fillitz House (1967) in Hinterbrühl, Austria, by Carl Auböck

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n the mid-twentieth century Long Island on the US east coast experienced explosive growth and building activity that was, among other factors, sparked by the New York elite’s discovery of the island as a weekend getaway. Large plots of lands and unlimited views also stimulated architectural experimentation and thus a great number of significant 20th century architects realized buildings on the island, among them Frank Lloyd Wright, Marcel Breuer, Jose Luis Sert, Paul Rudolph and John M. Johansen.

This rich architectural heritage also was subject to extensive research carried out by the Society for the Preservation of Long Island that Caroline Rob Zaleski conflated in the beautiful volume „Long Island Modernism 1930-1980“ published in 2012 by W.W. Norton. Driven by architectural exhibitions and magazine articles, affluent clients commissioned remarkably experimental designs like the Marcel Breuer’s Geller House II and even Mies van der Rohe realized a project, namely the renovation of a barn for his then lover artist Mary Callery.

At the same time the road building efforts of Robert Moses, urban planner and influential public official, contributed to the infrastructural development of Long Island: the Northern and Southern State Parkways as well as the Long Island Expressway eased the commute and significantly contributed to the construction of private, commercial and public buildings. Among these are William Lescaze’s Calderone Theater in Hempstead, I.M. Pei’s Roosevelt Field Mall and Paul Rudolph’s Endo Laboratories, all of them altered or demolished today. The island’s development also benefitted from the expansion of New York State University whose campuses and dormitories were designed by the likes of John M. Johansen. With the Academic Village at Old Westbury College he created a brutalist hill town as an organic cluster of forms.

In “Long Island Modernism” Zaleski combines architectural and social history, highlights architects and buildings and provides a visually rich and highly readable overview of modern architecture on Long Island. Warmly recommended!

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Kolumba Museum (2003-07) in Cologne, Germany, by Peter Zumthor. Photo from July 2026.

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James Agee Residence (1955) in Berkeley, CA, USA, by Anshen & Allen. Photo by Maynard L. Parker.

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A Cabinet designed in the 1950s by Jean Prouvé and produced by Les Ateliers Jean Prouvé, Nancy, France.

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Konzilsgedächtniskirche (1965-68) in Vienna, Austria, by Josef Lackner. Photo by Margherita Spiluttini.

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Charles L. & Dorothy Manson House (1938) in Wasau, WI, by Frank Lloyd Wright

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Over the course of his long career Georg Baselitz has created a stunningly extensive graphic work, covering most techniques of printmaking and pivotally involving his wife Elke. In parallel to his well-known paintings and sculpture Baselitz created an independent body of work in which he picked up motifs that occupied him and integrated them into the logics of graphic art.

After a long hiatus Rainer Michael Mason and Detlev Gretenkort since 2019 reactivated the project of a catalogue raisonné of Baselitz’ graphic works and published the third volume covering the years 1983 to 1989 with Snoeck. The most recent volume „Georg Baselitz: Peintre – Graveur IV“ was published in collaboration with Galerie Sabine Knust in 2024 and covers the years 1989 to 1992. The period is characterized by Baselitz’ extensive use of the colors green and red, grid and dot structures in which occasionally heads and figures seem to have gotten entangled. A particularly beautiful work is „Serge“ from 1991 which combines dry point and aquatint: it shows an upside figure covered by red and blue flecks of color and, as the catalogue reveals, was developed from a preliminary study that in contrast to the final work showed a distinctive grid structure. For the latter Baselitz used the dry point method and with sandpaper created a subtle shading which demonstrates the artist’s deep understanding of the processes and possibilities of dry point etchings.

Just as in the previous third volume, the fourth volume of the catalogue raisonné of Baselitz’ graphic work in meticulous detail documents each sheet in terms of printing method, condition, edition and corresponding literature, a richness of detail that corresponds with the excellent color reproductions of each sheet.

At the end of July the next volume of the catalogue raisonné is expected to be published and in view of the quality of the previous volumes is something to really look forward to!

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Goodyear Balloon House (1945) in Litchfield Park, AZ, USA, by Wallace Neff. Photo by Maynard L. Parker.

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St Paul's Roman Catholic Church (1958) in Glenrothes, Scotland, by Gillespie, Kidd & Coia

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A Desk designed c. 1950 by Osvaldo Borsani and produced by ABV Arredamenti Borsani Varedo, Italy.