Jim Isermann: Works 1980-2020

Jim Isermann has documented the conflation of postwar industrial design and fine art through popular culture in his comprehensive monograph. He began creating his own timeline of California design in 1980, using objects from thrift stores, flea markets, and swap meets. In 1999, he began using complex digitally designed patterns in his work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 23 November 2021
Publisher: Radius Books

Jim Isermann, a Palm Springs-based artist, has extensively explored the confluence of postwar industrial design and fine art through popular culture. His comprehensive monograph, spanning his 40-year career, showcases his initial 20 years of extensive research into postwar art and design, filtered through popular culture and consumerism. This is followed by 20 years of site-specific public projects and a studio practice focused on labor-intensive painting, sculpture, and occasional product design projects.

In the early 1980s, when California design and Midcentury Modern were not well-documented, Isermann created his own timeline by sourcing objects from thrift stores, flea markets, and swap meets. He assembled captivating bodies of work, combining latch hook rugs with paintings, stained glass window panels, and handsewn fabric wall hangings. By 1999, Isermann acquired his first computer, marking the beginning of the second 20 years of his career. During this period, he delved into complex digitally designed patterns, which found their form in commercially manufactured modules.

Isermann's artistic journey is fueled by his constant fascination with the unpredictable and serendipitous moments that infuse his work with life. His ability to blend artistic disciplines and incorporate found objects into his creations sets him apart, creating a unique and captivating body of work that continues to inspire and intrigue audiences.

Weight: 1748g
Dimension: 223 x 308 x 36 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781942185819