In an earlier post on this topic I mentioned work by Tony Fry. I might also have mentioned his recent book on de-futuring:
New Design Philosophy: An Introduction to Defuturing. Tony Fry 0868407534, UNSW
PRESS, July 1999, 304pp, PB.
In talking further with Tony he has mentioned missing bits of the conversation - he has OKed my inclusion of his comments here:
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On design criticism as a topic (for a journal and in general) ? first there is a forgotten history going back to the 1930s and before with writers like John Gloag, Anthony Bertram and then onto the 50s.60s via Rayner Banham (see esp. Design by Choice).
However, and more importantly, criticism (especially if mirroring litcrit) fails to frame (1) the more significant question: 'what is critical in designing and the designed'? And, (2) the need for design, as a prefigurative practice, to develop prefigurative criticism as part both a design and broader critical practice.
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Spent years on this stuff (eg UK journal Block in early 1980s) and its hard to see the wheels turn once again without any forward movement. - Tony Fry
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Keith Russell
OZ newcastle
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