Taken by Design: Photographs from the Institute of Design, 1937-1971

Art Institute of Chicago/U. of Chicago, 2002. David Travis and Elizabeth Siegel, editors. Essays by Keith F. Davis, Lloyd C. Engelbrecht, John Grimes, Hattula Moholy-Nagy, Elizabeth Siegel, and Larry Viskochil. Photographs by Laszlo Moholy-Nagy; Harry Callahan; Aaron Siskind; Harold  Allen; David Avison; Roslyn Banish; George Barford; Thomas Barrow; Ferenc Berko, Eugene Bielawski; JamesP. Blair; Barbara Blondeau; James Hamilton Brown; Wynn Bullock; Barry Burlison; Alan Cohen; Linda Connor; Gordon Coster; Eileen Cowin; Barbara Crane; Margaret De Patta; Francois Deschamps; Jonas Dovydenas; Robert Donald Erickson; Andrew Eskind; Antonio A. Fernandez; Lois Field; Len Gittleman; Milton Halberstadt; Paul Hassel; Reginald Heron; Yasuhiro Ishimoto; Joseph D. Jachna; Kenneth Josephson; William Keck; Gyorgy Kepes; Thomas Knudtson; Cal Kowal; Myron Kozman; Elsa Kula; William Larson; Hubert Leckie; Nathan Lerner; Frank Levstik, Jr.; Charles Lichtenstein; Archive Lieberman; Nathan Lyons;  Ray Martin; Lyle Mayer; Ray K.  Metzker; Wayne Miller; Marvin  E. Newman; Richard Nickel; Homer Page; Thomas Porett; Max Pritikin; Tom Rago; Merry Renk; Gretchen Schoennger; Arthur Siegel; Bernard Siegel; Art Sinsabaugh; Lynn Sloan; Henry Holmes Smith; Keith A. Smith; Frank Sokolik; Frederick Sommer; Joseph Sterling; Robert Stiegler; Charles Swedlund; Charles Traub; Warren Wheeler; Geoff Winningham; Dina Woelffer; John Wood. 1st printing. New in illustrated boards in original shrink wrap.  Summary:

Taken by Design: Photographs from the Institute of Design, 1937–1971 (2002) is a comprehensive scholarly volume and exhibition catalog that documents the profound influence of Chicago’s Institute of Design (ID) on American photography. Edited by David Travis and Elizabeth Siegel, the book traces the school’s evolution from its founding as the "New Bauhaus" by László Moholy-Nagy to its emergence as a premier center for photographic experimentation.

Core Philosophical Foundation: The New Bauhaus

The book explores how the ID transplanted European avant-garde principles to the United States. Under László Moholy-Nagy, photography was treated not just as a representational tool, but as a medium for "new vision." Students were encouraged to move beyond traditional subject matter to explore:

• Light Studies: Treating light as a physical material to be manipulated.

• Technical Experimentation: Highlighting the use of photograms (cameraless images), multiple exposures, solarization, and extreme close-ups.

• Formal Rigor: A focus on texture, line, and the geometric abstraction of the urban environment.

Key Eras and Leadership

The narrative of the book is divided into distinct periods marked by the tenure of legendary faculty members:

1. The Moholy-Nagy Years (1937–1946)

Focuses on the "foundation course" and the pedagogy of experimentation. The imagery from this era is often abstract and pedagogical, emphasizing the "grammar" of photography.

2. The Callahan and Siskind Era (1946–1971)

The book highlights the significant shift that occurred when Harry Callahan and Aaron Siskind joined the faculty.

• Harry Callahan: Brought a lyrical, personal minimalism, often using his family or the streets of Chicago as subjects for formal exploration.

• Aaron Siskind: Introduced a bridge to Abstract Expressionism, focusing on "found" abstractions in peeling paint, stone, and detritus.

The Chicago School of Photography

A major theme of the book is how the ID helped create a "Chicago School" of photography. Unlike the documentary-heavy East Coast or the landscape-focused West Coast, the ID fostered a style that was:

• Urban-Centric: Using Chicago’s architecture and street life as a laboratory for graphic experimentation.

• Process-Oriented: Valuing the method of seeing and making over the final narrative of the image.

Notable Contributors

Beyond the famous faculty, the book showcases the work of influential students who shaped 20th-century photography, including:

• Ray K. Metzker (complex street composites)

• Kenneth Josephson (conceptual photography and "pictures within pictures")

• Yasuhiro Ishimoto (blending Japanese aesthetics with Bauhaus design)

• Barbara Crane (experimental repetition and human form)

Summary Takeaway

Taken by Design is the definitive record of the Institute of Design’s pedagogy. It illustrates how a single institution successfully transformed photography from a hobby or a commercial craft into a sophisticated language of modern design and fine art. The book remains essential for understanding how the modernist "New Vision" was codified and passed down through generations of American photographers.