Our May lecture, celebrating the centenary of the 1925 Paris Expo, was given by Pamela Campbell- Johnston who specialises in British Domestic Architecture and Modern British Art.
This Expo was set up to show case the new Art Deco movement which was developing in the early 20 th Century, moving on from the Art Nouveau movement. It was primarily aimed at showcasing everything French. The Expo was delayed by the onset of the 1st World War, but finally opened in 1925.
Built in central Paris, it radiated out from the Pont Alexander 111 bridge over the Seine, and covered a huge area. There were two distinct areas, one for French design, the second for invited participants from other countries. Germany was not invited for obvious reasons, and the U.S.A. did not attend as they thought they had nothing to contribute.There were many huge and imposing entrances to accommodate the 16 million people who attended. Special trolleys were available for transport around the vaste sight.
Art Deco covered all aspects of design- architecture, interior design, fashion, theatre design, object d’art, caramics, sculpture, paintings etc. It displayed many iconic features including its famous upper case font, chevrons, waterfall effects, distinctive angular shapes, contrasts and the famous sunburst image. Also it used many materials- ceramics, wood, glass, metal, concrete, rendering etc. Design was minimalist. There were many different designers working in various fields- Lalique,Poiret, Dunard, and Barbier to name but a few.
The Expo was all about commerce and 4 Paris Department stores featured strongly, each having its own area with huge and imposing entrances of distinctive and innovative design reflecting Art Deco principles and use of materials.
We were taken on a virtual tour of its interiors, showcasing specimen rooms designed to inspire domestic consumption. The cost of products ranged from affordable to very exclusive.
Finally we saw Art Deco buildings in various countries, each typifying the style, but with varied interpretations reflecting cultural differences.
Why celebrate now? Many designers still reflect Art Deco in their work now, 100 years after its inception
Dee Pidgeon