Firestyle Magazine: Issue 6 - Winter 2016

It is frequently a combination of abstract painting,
Egyptian and Aztec style motifs, weird geometric shapes
and patterns, and striking colour combinations. Yet it
can also utilise the soft natural forms of flowers, trees and
animals. Like its predecessor of twenty years earlier, Art
Nouveau, which was popular around 1900, Art Deco
manifests itself in both small ornamental items, furniture,
and even buildings.
Among the best known exponents of Art Deco are Rene
Lalique, a Frenchman whose glass work is particularly
admired, and also the British potter Clarice Cliff, whose offbeat
designs and strong use of colour were a sensation
when first produced and have won her an enduring
following.
There is a notable difference between the Art Deco
of the 1920s and that of the 1930s. The twenties were
a great age of fun, flappers danced the Charleston,
the first talking film the Jazz Singer was astounding,
Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered – and in itself
influenced the Art Deco movement.
In the 1930s, many people saw the prospect of another
world war in the offing, and thirties Art Deco is slightly less
frivolous and has bolder, straighter, more precise lines and
detail. Ironically, it was world war two which snuffed out
the Art Deco movement.
The whole Art Deco movement stemmed from an
exhibition in Paris in 1925 which was called Exposition
Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes.
It’s easy to see why they shortened it to just Art Deco!
The emphasis of this exhibition was to try to encourage
the creation of an entirely new decorative style adapted
to modern life, but still based on individuality and
craftsmanship.
Top jewellers such as Cartier produced art deco pieces,
and so too did British based companies such as Royal
Doulton. For a decade between about 1925 and 1935,
Art Deco took Britain by storm, and reached its zenith
with complete buildings being created in the Deco style.
Notable examples include the BBC building in Portland
Place, and the Hoover building at Perivale, in West
London.
These days almost anything Art Deco finds a ready
market though prices can vary enormously. Furniture
is especially sought-after, with fine examples fetching
thousands of pounds. Pottery is also very popular for while
Victoriana has become unfashionable, Art Deco design
is still seen as cool and elegant. While it still possible to pick
up interesting Art Deco vases, clocks and other small items
by non-famous makers for £50-£100, finer pieces by noted
designers and manufacturers can run to hundreds and
often many thousands of pounds. Rare Clarice Cliff vases,
for example have fetched as much as £20,000, though
£1,000-£2,000 is more typical.
27