Militant Modernism

This book is a defence of Modernism against its defenders. In readings of modern design, film, pop and especially architecture, it attempts to reclaim a revolutionary modernism against its absorption into the heritage industry and the aesthetics of the luxury flat.

Militant Modernism argues for a Modernism of everyday life, immersed in questions of socialism, sexual politics and technology. It features new readings of some familiar names - Bertolt Brecht, Le Corbusier, Vladimir Mayakovsky - and much more on the lesser known, quotidian modernists of the 20th century. The chapters range from a study of industrial and brutalist aesthetics in Britain, Russian Constructivism in architecture, the Sexpol of Wilhelm Reich in film and design, and the alienation effects of Brecht and Hanns Eisler on record and on screen.

Against the world of 'there is no alternative', this book talks about things we haven't done yet, in the past tense.

Author(s): | Owen Hatherley |

Owen Hatherley was born in Southampton in 1981, and has lived in South East London for the last decade. He blogs on architecture, urbanism, politics, design, music and critical theory at Sit Down Man, You're a Bloody Tragedy (nastybrutalistandshort.blogspot.com).

He is a regular contributor to Icon, the Guardian, Icon and Frieze and writes a monthly topical column on architecture in Building Design. He is the author of two highly acclaimed books - Militant Modernism and A Guide to the New Ruins of Great Britain.