Art Deco was the dominant style of the 1920s and 1930s. Emanating from France in an exuberant reaction to the austerity that followed the First World War, it rapidly became a worldwide phenomenon, only to be suddenly eclipsed by the new austerity of the Second World War.
Bevis Hillier, who wrote the pioneering book on Art Deco in 1968 was largely responsible for reviving interest in the style. Now, with co-author Stephen Escritt, he has undertaken a new, broadly based retrospective survey of the whole subject incorporating recent scholarship and taking into account the changing perspectives of recent years.
Art Deco was a "total" style. As well as the fine and decorative arts, it embraced everything from packaging and posters to product design, fashion, interior decoration and architecture. Based on geometric shapes and stylized natural forms and using luxurious materials, it was exotic, colourful, sometimes even flashy and vulgar. It took the world by storm and is still a source of inspiration to designers the world over.
'Art Deco Style' is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging study of Art Deco yet to be published. Truly international in scope and covering the whole spectrum of art, design and architecture, this richly illustrated book demonstrates the all-persuasiveness and essential coherence of Art Deco as a style and reflects the fascination that it continues to exert as a living influence.
