In the 1920s, Art Deco style rose in popularity and the influence of its pioneer designers eventually permeated into all facets of design. In the art world Art Deco and other art movements like Cubism, Futurism, Dada and Expressionism, all had a profound influence, no where more so than in graphic design, especially advertising and other kinds of posters and magazine illustrations.
The new style of graphic art was typified by streamlined images and bold undecorated lettering. Its images were no longer angelic children or pretty flowers but huge ocean going liners, motor cars, or stylised women often in garments showing an Egyptian influence or the fashions of the day.
Over the last few years Art Deco has risen in popularity with collectors and no where is this more evident than in the field of genuine Art Deco posters. When they were originally printed, many of them were `disposable art` , printed for advertising and so many have long since been destroyed. Many collectors concentrate on one area, for example collecting only transport related posters or film posters. The most popular categories for collectors have consequently risen in price.
If you want to collect original posters, here are some points to help:
unless a poster is extremely rare and desirable, tears and folds across the main image will decrease its value quite drastically
a little damage around the edges of a poster is acceptable
unmounted posters are preferable to those mounted on board
Some of the famous names in Art Deco poster design are:
Adolphe J. M. Cassandre - specialised in posters of transport and machinery and employ bold images and a striking use of light and shade (see poster at the top of page).
Erte - produced striking stylised pictures of women in exotic costume, sometimes with an Eygptian influence. The figure is usually set against a black background.
Louis Icart - many of this artist`s pictures are of beautiful sophisticated women, usually nude or semi-nude and the works usually have just two or three predominant colours.
Jean Dupas - this artist was one of those commissioned to produce posters for London Transport. He also produced pictures of very stylised women and, typical of Art Deco females, very slim and pretty. |
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