The relationship between art and design has always been the subject of controversial discussion, not just since the Arts and Crafts movement began. The relationship between the two genres can look back on a long history of different positions, approaches, and new distinctions. A change in perspective is therefore urgently required. Zitzelsperger’s argumentation is a historical one that traces the points where art and design meet or repel each other from the Renaissance onward. Zitzelsperger locates the decisive turning point toward the end of the nineteenth century, when design became closely connected to the newly emerging philosophy of American pragmatism. Beyond ontology and the aesthetics of production, the author brings to light a new horizon that is open to the intentions underlying design and its practical realization.

Designed by: Neil Holt