Art Deco?

I see that there have been a number of posts in this group over the
years about Art Deco. It seems to be a popular artistic style among
philatelists. Perhaps some of you will have an opinion about this
cover:

http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/artdecofrontweb.jpg

The design is on a re-use label published by the Merchant Navy Comfotts
Service, which apparently provided "comforts (!), books, games and
emergency rescue kits for the merchant navy." It was posted from
Bristol to Carnarvon, Wales, in 1943.

It seems to me that the design has some of the characteristics of art
deco: "abstraction, distortion, and simplification, particularly
geometric shapes and highly intense colors -- celebrating the rise of
commerce, technology, and speed." Do you agree? Would it be reasonable
to describe the label as an Art Deco label?

Bob

Bob,
It has my vote as Art Deco, the time (toward the end of the machine
age) and subject (big ships) done in simple lines and shapes and the
elements you mentioned.
TL

TL wrote:
Bob,
It has my vote as Art Deco, the time (toward the end of the machine
age) and subject (big ships) done in simple lines and shapes and the
elements you mentioned.
TL

Thanks, TL. I always like it when people agree with me! :^)

Bob

Bob,

An interesting cover indeed, which seems to match perfectly the idea of Art
Deco. Here are a few quotes from my own web page about Art Deco, where you
will find more info and lots of images, both stamps and non-philatelic.
Particularly the image of the French liner "Normandie" complements your
cover. Some philatelists (me! :-)) like to collect this art style, maybe
because we are all still surrounded by Art Deco in one way or another.

http://arthistory.heindorffhus.dk/fr...21-ArtDeco.htm

Art Deco developed both as a reaction against the elaborate and sinuous
turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau style and as a new aesthetic that celebrated
the machine age, which was gathering momentum. Its central characteristics
are clean lines and sharp edges, stylishness and symmetry. Bright primary
colours, the use of chrome, enamel, and highly polished stone, and
references to ancient Egyptian and Greek design are also associated with the
style. The finest Art Deco designs were not generally mass-produced;
however, its inherent simplicity made it adaptable to the mass production of
less refined objects such as cheap jewellery, tableware, and household
items.
Art Deco became more geometric and linear as objects were increasingly mass
produced and as the United States supplanted France as the spiritual centre
of the movement. In America, the style found expression in objects as
diverse as locomotives, skyscrapers, roadside diners, radio cabinets,
jukeboxes, and advertising displays.

Art Deco was an innovative design style popular in the 1920s and 1930s that
took over from Art Nouveau. It was used primarily in furniture, jewellery,
textiles, ceramics, and interior design. Its sleek, streamlined forms
conveyed elegance and sophistication. Although the style took shape in the
1920s, the term Art Deco was not applied to it until 1925, when it was
recognized as a result of the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs
et Industriels Modernes, the seminal design exhibition that was held in
Paris.

Art Deco developed both as a reaction against the elaborate and sinuous
turn-of-the-century Art Nouveau style and as a new aesthetic that celebrated
the machine age, which was gathering momentum. Its central characteristics
are clean lines and sharp edges, stylishness and symmetry. Bright primary
colours, the use of chrome, enamel, and highly polished stone, and
references to ancient Egyptian and Greek design are also associated with the
style. The finest Art Deco designs were not generally mass-produced;
however, its inherent simplicity made it adaptable to the mass production of
less refined objects such as cheap jewellery, tableware, and household
items.

Art Deco became more geometric and linear as objects were increasingly mass
produced and as the United States supplanted France as the spiritual centre
of the movement. In America, the style found expression in objects as
diverse as locomotives, skyscrapers, roadside diners, radio cabinets,
jukeboxes, and advertising displays.

I hope this answers your question so far.

--
Best regards
Ann Mette Heindorff (Mette)
return address: heindorffhus at heindorffhus dot dk
http://www.heindorffhus.dk
------
Outgoing messages.checked with Norton AV



skrev i en meddelelse
ups.com...

I see that there have been a number of posts in this group over the
years about Art Deco. It seems to be a popular artistic style among
philatelists. Perhaps some of you will have an opinion about this
cover:

http://www.ingraham.ca/bob/artdecofrontweb.jpg

The design is on a re-use label published by the Merchant Navy Comfotts
Service, which apparently provided "comforts (!), books, games and
emergency rescue kits for the merchant navy." It was posted from
Bristol to Carnarvon, Wales, in 1943.

It seems to me that the design has some of the characteristics of art
deco: "abstraction, distortion, and simplification, particularly
geometric shapes and highly intense colors -- celebrating the rise of
commerce, technology, and speed." Do you agree? Would it be reasonable
to describe the label as an Art Deco label?

Bob

"Pierre COURTIADE" skrev i en meddelelse
...

- snip -


On Art Deco and philately, you *have* to visit Mette's page :
http://arthistory.heindorffhus.dk/fr...21-ArtDeco.htm

Among other things, you will see the stamps issued by France for the Art
Deco exhibition in 1925, a US stamp with the Chrysler building in NYC and
above all, a poster with the French liner Normandie drawn in an Art Deco
style.

Thanks Pierre! Your post was not on my screen when I posted mine, so I seem
to have more or less "overlapped" your post. In all immodesty I believe
that my page is the most complete one on the web on this subject. ;-))

Regards
Mette