Design as art: 'Design' and Italian national identity

This dissertation explores the relationship of design and Italian national identity from the origins of this field during the 1930s through the wane of the "economic miracle" in the early 1960s. This dissertation fills a gap in the literature by providing a critical historiography and a general history of the Italian--specifically the Milanese--design of this period. This background highlights the evolution in the discourse around Italian design, as well as both the continuity and change in the field's definition, organization and consolidation during the overriding political situations of interwar and postwar Italy. In addition, it is shown how associations between prewar design and the Fascist regime resulted in a general disavowal of the early stages of this field and an attribution of il Design wholly to the postwar period. To rectify this, "Design as Art: il Design and Italian National Identity" describes the prewar origins of design and the attendant notions of Italianita', Mediterraneita' and artisticita', and shows how these themes remained essential, albeit altered, in the changed conditions of postwar, democratic Italy. In addition, the close association of art and industry and the portrayal of design as a fine art characterized the presentation of design in related events of the pre and postwar periods. In particular, the Milan Triennale served as a propagandistic vehicle during the Regime and then as a means of broadcasting Italian national renewal after the War. Furthermore, those involved in the burgeoning field of postwar design, many of them whom were involved in its prewar stages, contributed to the reification of design into a national creative "essence", and transformed design into an effective export commodity. This dissertation underlines the relevance of design in the broader socio-economic and political events of prewar and postwar Italy.