Amazon.com
Sexy, modern, and unabashedly consumer-oriented, Art Deco was a new kind of style, flourishing at a time of rapid technological change and social upheaval. Lacking the philosophical basis of other European design movements, Deco borrowed motifs from numerous sources--Japan, Africa, ancient Egyptian and Mayan cultures, avant-garde European art--simply to create novel visual effects. Art Deco 1910-1939 surveys the sources and development of the popular style with more than 400 color illustrations and 40 chapters by numerous design specialists. The authors track Deco around the globe, from Paris to the United States—-where it got its biggest boost from mass production—-to Northern and Central Europe, Latin America, Japan, India, and New Zealand. The book's broad focus encompasses industrial artifacts (the Hindenburg blimp, the Burlington Zephyr locomotive), as well as architecture, furniture, accessories, fashion, jewelry, typography and poster design. Despite the existence of other prominent artistic movements during the 1920s and '30s, the authors tend to hang the Deco label on virtually any object that portrays the effects of technology or employs color, luxury materials or artificial light in striking ways. It does seem a stretch to include Man Ray's photographs, Sonia Delaunay's textiles and the movie King Kong in the Deco pantheon. But the great strength of Art Deco 1910-1939 is that it reveals the social context of Deco, not just its pretty face. The book accompanies an exhibition (organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London) at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto through January 4, 2004; subsequent venues are San Francisco and Boston. —Cathy Curtis
Book Description
The hottest trend in design at the moment-Art Deco-comes to life in this definitive and comprehensive book. Art Deco swept across the globe during the 1920s and 1930s and created the defining look of the interwar years.In an era of contradictions that encompassed both the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, it imbued everyday life with elegance and sophistication. It transformed the skylines of cities as diverse as New York and Shanghai and touched the design of everything from Hollywood films to clothing to luxury liners and locomotives. Art Deco was the style of hedonism, of indulgence, and of mass consumption. ART DECO 1910-1939 is the most wide-ranging survey of what created such an utterly distinctive iconography. Nearly 40 essays from leading experts in the field discuss the Art Deco phenomenon-its sources, its varied forms of expression, and the way it refined and redefined itself as it spread throughout the world. With breathtaking illustrations and essays both thought-provoking and scholarly, it will stand as the definitive book on what was, arguably, the most popular style of the 20th century.
Customer Reviews:
Very good transaction.......2007-01-12
No problem.
Long shipping, the book arrived some days after christmas.
Olivier
Excellent - Good scope and global reach........2006-08-10
Bought it - read it - refer to it as a source and to unashameably copy.
Niggles;
1) No art deco gardens. Is this an ommission or was this branch of human endeavour eschewed by the industrial age?
2) Illustrations of pieces sometimes miss listing the media and all are missing the size.
The greatest book on Art Deco!.......2003-09-12
This book is an absolute triumph. First, it is positively gorgeous - the images just leap off the pages. Second, the essays are more in-depth, engaging, and informative than any other book I've found on the subject. This book discusses every facet of Art Deco as well: it explores the origins at the Paris Exhibition in 1925, goes through the influence in East Asia, Latin America, and South Africa, not to mention Europe. A great chapter on Deco in Hollywood; also explores all of the sources, iconography - and all of this on top of covering every aspect of the movement - ceramics, jewelry, fashion, architecture, glass, photography, graphic design, bookbindings, travel and transport, and so so much more - with stunning visuals. A fantastic read, a great resource, a beautiful work, and an absolute MUST for anyone interested in the subject! Well worth the money, and a fantastic addition to any library. Highly recommended!
The first and last word on Deco........2003-09-07
A sumptuous coffee-table book of this exuberant art style and I think it could well become the standard book on the subject. The forty essays are divided into four sections, Sources and Iconography, 1925 Paris Exhibition, Spread of Deco and finally Deco World, and I liked the way, especially in Sources and Iconography, that the authors explain how various art styles were moulded into deco art which culminated in the very influential 1925 Paris show.
I thought the last two sections were a fascinating coverage of how Art Deco spread around the world, mainly as architecture and fashion, though in Europe also as a fine art style. In North America, it influenced a huge range of commercial products. Perhaps this was the only art form that was truly democratic in that it was available (as streamlining) to be seen or bought on any Main Street across the Nation.
The design and printing are excellent. Many of the photos, especially color, are presented whole page, the rest are all well sized, and they all have captions. The back of the book has a very comprehensive bibliography, fortunately listed as relating to each chapter rather than just an alphabetical list, the index is divided into two, Names and Subject. I was very impressed with this attention to detail and with the excellent text, images and production surely `Art Deco 1910-1939' will be read for many years to come.
***FOR A LOOK INSIDE click 'customer images' under the cover.
Book Description
Outstanding selection of nearly 120 American posters that helped fight the battles at home and abroad. Full-color works by James Montgomery Flagg, Howard Chandler Christy, Anton Otto Fischer, and more than 60 other artists exhorted Americans to enlist, buy Liberty bonds, increase production, and contribute to the war effort.
Customer Reviews:
Not What I Expected.......2007-08-08
I have the greatest respect for the Dover company - in general they produce high-quality books, and I own quite a few of them. However, with this book, they missed a great opportunity. This volume reproduces WWI and WWII propaganda posters in spades, but on a very small scale - two posters are printer per page, lengthwise, about 3x5 inches apiece. While the posters are clearly printed, on good quality paper, in full, vivid color, the fact that they are so small takes away some of the fun in looking at them. This book comes with an accompanying CD-ROM so that you can use the posters herein (on a limited basis) in certain projects and, essentially, it seems as though the book is really meant to serve as a catalogue for the CD-ROM. For those who are looking for a good digital reference, this may be useful; those who are looking for a good art book should look elsewhere.
Ideal Teaching Tool.......2007-05-07
Downloading the CD Rom images is easy and making color copies or transparencies for overhead projections. Using the latter in your classroom will enhance your lessons on the World Wars, especially the broad range samples of Homefront propaganda and culture. The students seeing these poster works in rich colors beats the drab B&W or smaller textbook facsimile inserts. Show it to them while playing a CD recording of George M. Cohan's "Over There" for a real memorable effect! My Eighth graders will surely remember this.
Customer Reviews:
It just seems to fit with the Bungalow Style.......2006-12-02
The 1920's and '30's in the United States saw the construction of huge number of Bungalow in a great many US cities. These now 80 year old houses were often constructed in newly developed subdivisions. Now many of these subdivisions are being discovered as artistically attractive, close to town, shopping, entertainment. The bungalow houses often retain their characteristic style, and many even contain their original fittings such as light fixtures, plumbing, fireplaces.
This time, this style of home was made for Art Deco.
This book shows how these houses would have been decorated when they were new. The furniture, art, decorations, wall paper, paint colors, etc. just look like they belong in bungalows.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking at decorating a 1920's vintage bungalow.
Incredible History of Art Deco.......2005-09-08
Great book with many helpful photos. Great history of the art. Recommended to anyone who wants to know more about one of the 20th century's most important art forms.
Not impressed.......2005-04-23
This is a pretty dry book. First it helps to know a little French. Secondly, all this book does is throw in a couple hundred names of designers and places. Third, when the author speak of different designs which were created by people there are no images to back it up, so you really can't produce an image in your head of what the author is describing, the images that are in the book are mainly black and white and drawings which really didn't give me a sense of what the designer was trying to portray. As a designer I purchased this book to learn more about the art deco style, characteristics, elements, materials and influence, which is not what I found in this book.
The last book I'd let go of........2005-03-24
For those who are looking for a special purpose book, such as one that will instruct a person in design, or categorize items one may want to purchase by type (lamps, vases, statues, etc.), this may not be the ideal book. For the reader who is interested in exploring the deco spirit of original times and designers who viewed deco interiors as ensembles and not mere collections of items, this is an excellent book. As well bound as it is, I may eventually wear out my copy. It has been most useful to see original period interiors (ensembles, including the objects of which they are composed) from hotel lobbies, theatres, bedrooms, living rooms, bathrooms, restaurants, train stations, ocean liners, movie sets, offices, kitchens, and more, as I gather interpretive hints and inspiration for remodeling projects for each of the rooms in my house. I also browse through it sometimes just for the type of eye candy I never tire of. Photography is plentiful, and many photographs are nearly full-page in size. The writing is instructive related to history and designers, and well written. If I could keep only one art deco book - so far - this would be it.
Not what I needed.......2005-02-01
This book was more encyclopedic than inspiring. This would be great for a student of design. It was not helpful for me. I wanted to find decor and furnishing ideas for my unostentatious 1930's home. This book did not offer help to the interior design novice.
Book Description
The latest volume in our popular Art Deco series, Deco Espana represents a rich and virtually unknown treasure of graphic design history, detailing the defining characteristics that distinguish the Mediterranean style Spanish Art Deco design from that of classic French Deco or streamlined American Deco design. From its appearance in the political posters of the Spanish Civil War to its use in advertising the post-war automobile and travel industries, and from its emergence in the packaging of Spanish wine and cosmetics to its brilliant use in the graphic posters of the Spanish theater, the Art Deco style puts on a lively show in Deco Espa–a. This book not only represents an important area of graphic design study, but signifies an entire era of Spanish cultural history.
Customer Reviews:
Visually Appealing.......2000-04-14
I am a student studying graphic design and found this book to be very helpful in my classes. There are many fully colored pictures of the actually art work and limited text. I enjoy this because I am a visual person and learn by seeing. This book is by far one of the best I have seen.
Book Description
Art Deco made its formal appearance in Paris at the 1925 L'Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, a showcase for art, architecture, and design that promoted progress, modernity, and the present. The greatest export from this exhibition was a style that has since been recognized as one of the great design movements of the 20th century. Art Deco's growing recognition coincided with the growth of Los Angeles as the entertainment capital. Between world wars, the city's architecture sprouted characteristic signs of Art Deco: the interplay of vertical and horizontal features, geometric shapes, use of exotic and modern materials, as well as simplified streamlined forms. This volume's marvelous collection of images celebrates Los Angeles's Art Deco heritage, showcasing such structures as Bullock's Wilshire, Sunset Tower, the Oviatt Penthouse, the Wiltern and Pantages Theatres, and many, many more.
Customer Reviews:
Art Deco.......2006-12-11
A well rounded book on the Art Deco buildings in Los Angeles. Fine period photos compliment this book. The book needed to spend more time on the industrial architecture of Los Angeles as well as the decrotative arts! Overall a nice book to own.
lovely images of surviving buildings.......2006-09-29
It's a pleasure to see the photos in this book and read the account of how Art Deco become installed into so many surviving landmarks of Los Angeles. For a relatively brief period, scarcely more than a decade, some lovely buildings were constructed. The book takes you on a guided tour of these.
Essentially all are still in active use. A possible exception, for now, is the Bullocks department store on Wilshire and Fairfax. That chain is defunct. And its landmark store has been shuttered for several years. You can visit it and gaze inside its windowed doors at a gloomy interior. Depressing. But the building is still very much intact structurally. And that area is fairly upscale. So Bullocks might well become rebranded one day.
Another building mentioned in the book is the Wiltern theatre. At Wilshire and Western. Hence its name as a reference to that intersection. Today, that building is looking drab, just like its vicinity. Decades of grime.
Book Description
This reference work—from the trusted experts at Miller’s—is essential for both new enthusiasts and experienced collectors. It features a broad range of pieces, including glass, furniture, jewelry, metalware, bronze, ivory figures, and ceramics. Over 4000 items are described and well-illustrated, each with a price guide.
Books:
- Art of Technique, The: An Aesthetic Approach to Film and Video Production
- At Home in Mitford/A Light in the Window/These High, Green Hills/Out to Canaan/A New Song/A Common Life (The Mitford Years 1-6)
- Atget
- August Sander: People of the 20th Century (7 Volume Set)
- Automated Lighting: The Art and Science of Moving Light in Theatre, Live Performance, Broadcast, and Entertainment
- Building Professional Services: The Sirens' Song
- Business and Legal Forms for Photographers (with CD-ROM) (Business and Legal Forms)
- Call Me by Your Name: A Novel
- Caspar David Friedrich
- Complete Digital Photography, Third Edition (Digital Photography Series)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
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- Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions
- The Madonna of Excelsior: A Novel
- The Architecture of Western Gardens: A Design History from the Renaissance to the Present Day
- The Chronicles of Narnia: Never Has the Magic Been So Real
- The Grammar of Graphics
- The Practical Encyclopedia of Rocks & Minerals: How to Find, Identify, Collect and Maintain the
- Beautiful Bad Girl: The Vicki Morgan Story
- The Last Renaissance Man: The Life of Charles Mullen
- Fattie Geary and the Uncivil Service
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Art Nouveau 1890-1914
American Art Deco: Modernistic Architecture and Regionalism
Essential Art Deco
The Art Deco House
Art Deco Interiors: Decoration and Design Classics of the 1920s and 1930s
