Alexander Girard’s Imagined Worlds

Alexander Girard’s Imagined Worlds examines a modern design luminary whose collection of global folk art and vernacular forms informed his expansive design practice. The book focuses on the Museum of International Folk Art, its displays and archival collections, and Girard’s Santa Fe years, as a locus for the designer-collector’s wide-ranging practices. From his home and studio in Santa Fe, Alexander Girard’s work had international reach and profoundly impacted modern design. Lavishly illustrated, this book explores through thoughtful essays new facets of Girard’s design production and folk art collection, underscoring the inseparability of the two and culminating in his exhibition Multiple Visions: A Common Bond at the Museum of International Folk Art. By reflecting on selected displays, providing cultural context and highlighting artists and traditions, the publication offers new ways of approaching Girard’s legacy. Published in conjunction with the long-term installation of Multiple Visions: A Common Bond, the Girard Wing, Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe. Multiple Visions: The folk art and toy collections of architect and designer Alexander Girard (1907–1993) – including unpublished photographs of his final designed environment.