“This was the first major exhibition to celebrate post-war British art and design, revealing the depth and quality of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collections while showcasing the richness of British regional collections.
The exhibition focussed on British post-war art and design from the 1948 ‘Austerity Games’ to the present day. Over 300 British design objects highlighted significant moments in the history of British design and how the country continues to nurture artistic talent and be a world leader in creativity and design.” (from the V&A website)
“If the British economy is flagging, it’s no worse than it was in 1948, when London’s last Summer Olympics earned the nickname the ‘Austerity Games’ – an irony that hasn’t gone unnoticed. Luckily the city’s museums are stepping in to burnish its brand: two exhibitions focused on postwar British design are making the case that the country’s economic tribulations have always coincided with periods of creative ascendancy. ‘British Design 1948 to 2012,’ opening March 31 at the Victoria and Albert Museum, charts
artistic upticks after the war, during the oil crisis in the ’70s and after the recession in the ’80s …’Designing Women,’ at the Fashion and Textile Museum, which opened March 16, focuses on the midcentury modern textile designs of Lucienne Day, Jacqueline Groag and Marian Mahler.” (New York Times, 18 March 2012)
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