Iris Moon Livres

Focusing on the interplay between permanence and temporality, the book examines how architects Percier and Fontaine influenced perceptions of time, memory, and modern political identity in France. Their efforts to create enduring structures often relied on temporary forms, leading to a deeper awareness of the complexities surrounding architectural permanence and its implications on societal values. Through this lens, the work delves into the broader cultural and historical context of French architecture.

Exploring the cultural myths surrounding Chinoiserie, this novel history delves into the allure and misconceptions of porcelain in Europe. It combines curiosity with critical analysis to reveal how this fascination shaped perceptions of the East, challenging established narratives and highlighting the complexities of cultural exchange. Through its examination of porcelain, the book uncovers deeper themes of fantasy, identity, and the interplay between art and culture.

An experimental biography of the ceramics entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood that reveals the tenuous relationship of eighteenth-century England to late-capitalist modernity. Melancholy Wedgwood traces the multiple strands in the life of the ceramic entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood (1730–1795) to propose an alternative view of eighteenth-century England’s tenuous relationship to our own lives and times, amid the ruins of late-capitalist modernity. Through intimate vignettes and essays, and in writing at turns funny, sharp, and pensive, Iris Moon chips away at the mythic image of Wedgwood as singular genius, business titan, and benevolent abolitionist, revealing an amorphous, fragile, and perhaps even shattered life. In the process the book goes so far as to dismantle certain entrenched social and economic assumptions, not least that the foundational myths of capitalism might not be quite so rosy after all, and instead induce a feeling that could only be characterized as blue.