Benito Quinquela Martin - The Artist of La Boca

by: Iza posted: April 12, 2019

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.

Paris 1925 Exposition Collection Expanded

Invitations Found

by: Modernism posted: September 18, 2012

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...

by: Ric posted: September 14, 2012

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.

by: Modernism posted: September 11, 2012

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

by: Modernism posted: September 07, 2012

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.

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