Modernism Gallery Blog

Benito Quinquela Martin - The Artist of La Boca

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 11:36:52 GMT

Benito Quinquela Martin was born in Buenos Aires (La Boca - the Port of Buenos Aires) in 1890 and was left at an Orphanage at 20 days of his birth. Adopted at the age of 6, he grew up in the district of La Boca. At 14, he began drawing although his adoptive father discouraged him. He entered school but had to leave at the age of 9 to help his stepfather in the coal business. At 15, he began delivering coal to the ships. By the time he was 17 he began studying drawing at a local school. His work depicted the port scenes. In his lifetime he explored all the art media including printmaking and ceramics. His most striking work involves "Heroic Worker" scenes both in oil on canvas and on printed works. He specialized in etching and aquatint. His first exhibit was in 1918 at the Witcomb Gallery in Buenos Aires to great reviews! in 1921 he exhibited in Rio de Janeiro and then Between 1923 and 1929 he exhibited in Madrid, Paris and all over the Continent including Italy. His philanthropic work in providing support to the arts and to children in La Boca are legendary. Founder of Cafe Tortoni in Buenos Aires where all the artists of the time formed a Salon. Today his work hangs at St. James Palace in London, among many other museums and private collections.

American Art Deco Furniture By Ric Emmett Valentines Price

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 14:18:52 GMT

American Art Deco Furniture by Ric Emmett After FOUR years of research and writing this book has become a REALITY!!! It has become a part of the permanent collection in the Art & Design Libraries in many museums and universities. 200 copies were sold in the pre-publication offer!!! The book; Five hundred and sixty-nine pages of color pictures (none previously published), descriptions and period research has become the "bible" on the subject. It has chapters on Paul Frankl, Donald Deskey, Gilbert Rohde, Kem Weber and nineteen other American designers of the Art Deco period. The book includes chapters on manufacturers, a useful bibliography and a chapter showing tags, marks and labels. American Art Deco Furniture is published in an edition of only 1000. Each book is numbered. There will be NO second edition or any other printing or e-book publication. The book price is $ 150.00 plus local sales taxes if applicable. You may also send a check for $ 150.00 (add 7 % if located in Florida) along with your address to: Art Deco Pros., Inc. 7125 SW 47 # 303 Miami, FL 33155. Shipping included. Iza Emmett (305) 798-0308

American Art Deco Furniture Book on Modern Magazine

Sat, 27 Jun 2015 12:12:08 GMT

download a great article in the summer issue of Modern Magazine.

WOODS OF THE WORLD - AS USED IN AMERICAN ART DECO FURNITURE AND DESIGN

Mon, 08 Jun 2015 09:18:01 GMT

WOODS OF THE WORLD – AS USED IN AMERICAN ART DECO FURNITURE DESIGN & MANUFACTURE
In his book, American Art Deco Furniture, Ric Emmett describes the use of exotic woods in the design of furniture by the great American Designers. This guide was published in the Home Furnishing Arts magazine’s Spring & Summer issue of 1935.

Eugene Schoen is Included in American Art Deco Furniture by Ric Emmett

Thu, 25 Dec 2014 19:53:21 GMT
Eugene Schoen (1880 - 1957) was one of American Art Deco's top design names. The following is an excerpt from Ric Emmett's new book, American Art Deco Furniture: " Eugene Schoen (1880-1957) was born in New York City. He attended Colum¬bia University, graduating in 1901 with a degree in architecture. The Paris Exposition of 1925 inspired him to open an interior decorating business specializing in the new modern movement. He designed furniture, rugs, and occasional items for his cli¬ents. His work was exhibited at The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s two exhibits of industrial design. Schoen had a wealthy clientele and his combination of the best of New York, Paris, and Vienna with the quality of craftsmanship of his furniture, mostly executed by Schmieg, Hungate, and Kotzian, brought him ample commissions through the depression. He maintained his exclusivity by selling through other decorators or to his own clients."

Modernism Gallery Displays at the Miami Beach Art Deco Museum - MDPL INAUGURATES MIAMI BEACH ART DECO MUSEUM ON 10TH & OCEAN

Mon, 13 Oct 2014 08:40:04 GMT
The Miami Design Preservation League made it happen! The FIRST Miami Beach Art Deco Museum openend on October 1st. It is located at the MDPL Welcome Center at 10th Street and Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Admission is free! Modernism Gallery provided, on loan and for sale with a portion of the proceeds going to the MDPL, several pieces of furniture including a pair of French art deco leather club chairs, a seafoam green seahorse coffee table, a collection of graphics from the 1925 Paris Exposition (for which ART DECO was named), a KEM Weber sofa and chair set and many other items including French, Belgian, English and American Art Deco ceramics. Click here for additional information: http://www.mdpl.org/welcome-center/art-deco-museum/

Paris 1925 Exposition Collection Expanded - Invitations Found

Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:57:42 GMT

Another item has been added to the collection of graphic design of The Paris 1925 Exposition. It seems Bonwit Teller was going to have a showing of the lattest Paris fashions on September 14, 1925 (before the fair closed in October) and recieved permission from the committee on pubicity to use Bonfils image for the front of the invitation. The image was the most popular, reproduced in two sizes of the offical poster, the front cover of the guide book and the offical program (in green).

Who Designed The Norman Bel Geddes Soda Syphon? - Guess Again...

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:19:14 GMT

The "Norman Bel Geddes" Soda Syphon is in the collection of many United States museums, always with the attribution "Norman Bel Geddes". It has been sold by all major auction houses...also with an attribution to Bel Geddes.

The reason for this, is the inscription on the base "Designer - Norman Bel Geddes". The raised inscription also reads "Walter Kidde Sales Co. Inc., Bloomfield, N.J.".

However, a search of the U.S. Design Patents shows the inventor of design Patent 112,535 was Worthern Paxton (1905-1977) and the patent was assigned to the Walter Kidde Sales Company, Bloomfield N.J. The patent was filed on May 18, 1938 and granted on December 13, 1938.

Paxton was a member of Bel Geddes firm but a relative unknown while Bel Geddes was a super star from his work in the theatre. He was also the designer of the popular Worlds Fair Exhibit, General Motors futurama, which was probably the year the soda siphon was introduced.

So... the markting decision to put Bel Geddes name on the siphon probably should have said "from the firm of Norman Gel Geddes".

Art Deco Weekend Is Around the Corner! - Come Visit.

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:09:06 GMT

Art Deco Weekend Is Around the Corner

Modernism Gallery is proud to be an exclusive partner for Art Deco Weekend. We will be participating in the 3rd annual Art Deco and MiMo Furniture Expo and Sale. Our exhibit will include a plethora of Art Deco furniture, lighting, and accessories. Mark your calendars, we expect to see you there!

The event will be at:

Art Deco Welcome Center
1001 Ocean Drive (In Lummus Park/10th Street & Ocean Drive)

Event Times are as Follows:

• THURSDAY/JANUARY 18th (10am-7pm)
• FRIDAY/JANUARY 19th (10am-7pm)?
• SATURDAY/JANUARY 20th (10am-7pm)

Check out our exhibit mention here:
http://www.artdecoweekend.com/2013-exhibits/

For more info on the event check out the art deco weekend website.
http://www.artdecoweekend.com/

Graphic Design Of the Paris 1925 Exposition - Origin of Art Deco

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:13:21 GMT

The 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes which gave the name "Art Deco" to the new design movement, opened on April 28, 1925 and closed in October of that year.

Arguably the most important design exhibition of the 20^th Century, the fair was originally planned for 1915 but World War One and the following economic uncertainty caused it to be postponed until 1925. Germany was invited too late (possibly intentionally) to mount a presence and Herbert Hoover, then the Secretary of Commerce, informed the French government that the United States would not participate. Reportedly some sixteen million people visited the exhibition.

The Exhibition, which was to reflect glory on France and its consumer goods, required a new graphic image. This started slowly with a poster by Henri Rapin (1873-1939) announcing the sale of bonds for the Exposition showing craft workers with flags of several countries (including the United States). The bonds, authorized April 1923, look much the same as other French bonds of the era.

The posters of the Exhibition are another matter.

Robert Bonfils (1886-1972) created the most famous and ubiquitous of the four posters commissioned for the exhibition. His creation in red and black in imitation of a woodcut shows a young maid and leaping deer over stylized flora and a frieze of geometric flowers above her head. All four elements became icons of the Art Deco movement.

The poster was produced in the standard 23’’x15’’ size and also in a larger 39’’x26’’ size. The image was also used on the cover of the official catalog of the exhibition. The poster also exists in the standard 23’’x15’’ size format with blue replacing the red…this blue poster is very rare.

The only other poster to be offered in the two sizes is Charles Loupot’s (1892-1962) stunning vision of factories (industry) pouring out smoke which turns into a giant stylized flower (art).

Andre Girard (1901-1968) produced the rarest of the four posters for the Exhibition. His image shows a pyramid of smokestacks in the background with their smoke rising toward the center. A pyramid of men struggle to reach a chalice held aloft. This poster is only known in the standard 23’’x15’’ size.

The organizers reached back to a “romantic” style for the fourth poster. Emile-Antoine Bourdelle (1861-1929) was considered at the time of the Exhibition to the most important living sculptor in France and in contrast to the younger designers of the other three posters he represented a link to the past glories of French art. The legend on the bottom translates to: “by labor and by Genius”. It is only found in the standard 23”x15” size.

A large etching by Louis Pierre Rigal (1889-1959) was awarded to exhibitors and judges at the Exhibition. The etching reveals two young women on a divan, the one on the left is all but completely covered and asleep…she represents the Old Order, the past. The girl on the right is smiling and partly nude, she has stylized flowers and ringlets in her hair and represents the exhibition’s break with the past. A modern vase, bust, plate and industrial gear complete the message: There is a new day, the past is behind and the 1925 exposition leads the way!

Modernism Gallery is proud to have captured and preserved these peices of art. For more images and info check out the 1925 collection.

http://www.modernismgallery.com/an+important+1925+paris+exposition+art+deco+poster+collection/