Art Deco: 1910-1939 FROM THE PUBLISHER
Spanning the boom of the roaring Twenties and the bust of the Depression-ridden 1930s, Art Deco came to epitomize all the glamour, luxury, and hedonism of the Jazz Age. It was the style of the flapper girl, the luxury ocean liner, the Hollywood film, and the skyscraper. It burst onto the world stage at the 1925 Paris Exposition internationale des arts decoratifs et industriels modernes, and quickly swept across the globe. Its influence was everywhere: it transformed the skylines of cities from New York to Shanghai and shaped the design of everything from fashionable evening wear to plastic radios. Above all it became the style of the pleasure palaces of the age - hotels, cocktail bars, night-clubs and cinemas. Though it originated before the First World War in the one-off masterwork or the limited edition piece, Deco became synonymous with mass consumption and modernity, and was enthusiastically embraced by taste-makers all over the globe, among them Josephine Baker, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the Maharajah of Indore.
Deco was an essentially eclectic style. It drew from European craft traditions as well as from the exotic cultures of Ancient Egypt, Meso-America, East Asia, and black Africa. Its use of rare and unashamedly precious materials was a reminder of the wealth of empires, whilst its streamlined and geometric imagery celebrated the machine age and the exuberance of the contemporary world. This lavish and authoritative book brings together leading experts in the field to discuss the phenomenon that was Art Deco. Its sources, varied forms of expression, distinct visual language and global spread are examined in a series of thought-provoking and scholarly essays. With its breathtaking illustrations this volume will stand as the definitive book on what was, arguably, the most popular style of the twentieth century.
FROM THE CRITICS
The Washington Post
The hundreds of photographs in this volume portray not only the more predictable sites and artifacts (movie palaces, Miami hotels, textiles, furniture, jewelry, household objects) but also a surprising range of regions -- India, Scandinavia, Latin America, Australia -- in which the style influenced local artisans and architects. Among the informative essays are several illuminating articles that trace Deco back to its roots in the design elements of Egyptian, Asian, African and Mexican art.
— Francine Prose
Library Journal
In this catalog to an exhibition originating at London's Victoria and Albert Museum and traveling to Toronto, San Francisco, and Boston, Art Deco is defined as a complex and varied mix of decorative styles from the 1910s to the period before World War II. Thirty-two scholars examine the style, which responded to the popular tastes and glamour of the period and was associated with consumption, high fashion, commerce, and the new technologies. This book reflects the many facets of Art Deco by examining its various sources and iconography, such as inspirations from the Far East, Africa, and Egypt as well as such avant-garde movements as Cubism. Different media boasting Art Deco design (fashion, architecture, graphic design, Hollywood film, etc.) are also examined. Beautifully illustrated (404 color, 50 b&w), this comprehensive work demonstrates how the Art Deco style spread beyond Europe and the United States to places such as East Asia, Australia, and Latin America. The definitive volume on this subject for years to come; recommended for all libraries that collect books on art, architecture, fashion, and the decorative arts.-Sandra Rothenberg, Framingham State Coll. Lib., MA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
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