Customer Reviews

Art Deco: 1910-1939

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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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.

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!

"Art Deco 1910-1939" is the most comprehensive book on the Deco Style. It thoroughly explains the Machine Age aesthetic and how the movement was, at first, a reaction against its predecessor, Art Nouveau. Once a luxury style for the affluent, it soon trickled down to the mass-market and became something the bourgeois could embrace, too, through advertising and consumer goods. Free of ornamentation and embellishment, Art Deco celebrated the dynamism of power symbols, like sunbursts and lightning bolts. The book is brimming with high resolution photography that, from every facet of culture and socio-economic level, explains how the mannerisms of streamline touched everything from fashion to the automobile.

I've always been a fan of Art Deco anything. This is as comprehensive a book on the subject as I've ever seen, with both informative narrative and spectacular illustrations. Every aspect of Art Deco is covered, including design antecedents and influences, and there are many photos I've never seen anywhere before.

Best Art Deco reference (or coffee table book) I've run across. Pick it up, turn to any page, and next thing you know it's an hour later!!

Highly recommended.

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.

No problem.
Long shipping, the book arrived some days after christmas.
Olivier