Tag Archives: Art Deco

Art Deco Metal Works of the Waldorf Astoria

Art Deco Mailbox at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Art Deco Mailbox at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Elevator Doors at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Elevator Doors at the Waldorf Astoria, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Seating Area, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Seating Area, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Vent Register, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Vent Register, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Stairwell, Photo Romi Cortier
Waldorf Astoria Stairwell, Photo Romi Cortier

Art Deco is alive and well at the Waldorf Astoria. Over 80 years have passed since she was built in 1931 by Schultze and Weaver, and she’s still the jewel of the City. I had the distinct pleasure of staying there this spring (thank you American Express Rewards) and I wasn’t disappointed. Since my first visit to her lobby in the early 1980’s, I’ve been wowed by her glamour and sophistication. Judging by the amount of tourists taking selfies in her lobby, I’m not the only one.

As a guest of the hotel, I took the opportunity to wander her halls and corridors, examining every detail.  I was wowed at every turn. She is indeed a total work of art. Vent registers, handrails, elevator doors, mailboxes, the list goes on, it’s craftsmanship at its finest. It’s no surprise that Cole Porter lived there for 25 years… I would too. And with the private driveway underneath the hotel, I can see why every president stays there, secret service must love it. In fact, I was a spectacular way to exit my 4 day stay at the hotel, in chauffeured town car wearing my biggest sunglasses (yes it was actually sunny). If only someone would have alerted the paparazzi… oh, that’s right, I’m not famous. But I sure felt like it while staying at the Waldorf Astoria.

 

Italian Futurism at the Guggenheim Museum

Tulio Crali, Before the Parachute Opens, 1939, Courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Tulio Crali, Before the Parachute Opens, 1939, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Ivo Pannaggi, Speeding Train, 1922, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Ivo Pannaggi, Speeding Train, 1922, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Benedetta Cappa Marinetti, Speeding Motorboat, 1923-24, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum
Benedetta Cappa Marinetti, Speeding Motorboat, 1923-24, Photo courtesy Guggenheim Museum

This spring I attended the Italian Futurism exhibit at the GuggenheimMuseum in New York. I’d read about the exhibit in October 2013, and added it to my ‘must do’ list, even if that meant sofa surfing at a friends apartment. Fortunately, that wasn’t necessary. As I understand it, this exhibit is the first survey of this period in the United States, which makes it ground breaking in and of itself.  The easiest way to describe this movement would be to call it  Italian Art Deco, however, the Italian Futurism period dates from 1909 – 1944 and includes other elements. “Their style evolved from fractured elements in the 1910’s  to a mechanical language in the 20’s, and then to aerial imagery in the 30’s”.

I’ve chosen the images above because like Art Deco, there was a fascination and celebration of speed, including planes, trains and automobiles. The image of the train above is more cubist in nature, which was the basis for Art Deco. Before the Parachute Opens was one of my favorite paintings in the entire exhibit. Large in scale, it was the first time I’d seen a painting from this perspective and seemed to exemplify what the exhibit was about. No photography was allowed beyond the signage in the lobby, therefore, I’ve used these images from the Guggenheim web site.

Exhibit closes September 1, 2014

 

Art Deco Wall Mural

I created this Art Deco Wall Mural for a home in LA’s Miracle Mile, known as one of the premiere Art Deco areas of the city. The beautiful yellow and black tile already existed and my challenge was to find a way to embrace the vintage tile, while  also  accentuating the verticality of the space. My inspiration came from the Desmond’s Department store which could be viewed from the Dining Room Window of the home. I  chose shades of yellow, silver and gray to compliment the rooms existing palette and vintage mirror. This was one of my more complex murals, but the end product was quite stunning.