Industrial Art Deco

[spee...@hotmail.com]

I'm a computer animation student and I'm trying to come up with some
referance material for a major project I have planned using heavy
machinery designed in an art deco style. I'm planning to do something
remenicent of the old silent movie "Metropolis". My idea is to show
something on my demo reel that shows my ability to do industrial
animation with style and also tells the audiance that I know something
about art and film history. The kind of assistance I need is some
help in finding pictures, schematics or books about Industrial designs
with an Art Deco style. I would be happy enough to find some good
internet links that show good pictures of things like the rocket
backpack in Disney's "The Rocketeer" movie. Or just about any
mechanical device seen in "Batman" or any Tim Burton movie for that
matter. A couple of other examples that come to mind are the
suspended animation tank that they put Mel Gibson in in the movie
"Forever Young". I also like the kind of rocketships and hardware
from Flash Gordon or Buck Rodgers type movies and all the scenes in
"Titantic that feature the heavy machinery of the ship.

Thanks much in advance. If you have any leads for me I'd appreciate
if you would let me know at my e-mail address, iris...@hotmail.com
Also, if there is any machine that YOU think is particularly beautiful
even if it isn't old nor particularly Art Deco looking, please tell me
about it. Again thanks.

Greg

[Paula Wood]

The designs of several Sparton radios Besides the sled and round mirrors. The
skyscraper radios from Air King. The old BP-40 GE frige we had.
...................But, The RMS Titanic?????? Try the beautiful 1930's super
liners from France, Germany and Italy. The Titanic machinery was a tribute to
1890's industrial massive hubris. No style in the Art Deco sense. The late
thirties trucks, gas stations, etc. The 1939 Worlds Fair buildings. GM's
Futurama exibits. Boy, could I go on.
Delete Fada from email, Paula, members.aol.com/eman1958/keepers1.html, Keepers
Antiques
Haltom City.TX. 76117

[MSchu46776]

Try to find a book "The Machine Age In America 1918-1941" by Richard Guy
Wilson, Dianne Pilgrim, and Dickran Tashjian, published by Harry Abrams, Inc.
New York, 1986

Mike Schultz

[Bill Sheppard]

Paula wrote, "The Titanic machinery was a tribute to 1890's industrial

massive hubris. No style in the Art Deco sense."

A scaled-down version of one of Titanic's three triple-expansion
engines is still running today -- in the S.S. Jeremiah O'Brian, the only
seaworthy Liberty Ship still operating. A look in the O'Brien's engine
room reveals machinery of pure function - an art in itself, but not in
the 'Deco' sense. (Try a web search under 'Jeremiah O'Brien'.)

A more 'Deco' look in maritime steam machinery can be seen in the
exposed rocking-beam engines of Bay ferries like the Eureka, docked in
S.F. as a tourist attraction (though non-operating).

1800s steam locomotives were artworks far beyond pure function, as
were passenger coaches. Then there were the automobiles of the late 20s
and into the 30s, where function morphed into art..

oc

[Doug. Houston]

Designs that we know as "art deco" started after 1925. The name for the
design style came from: The great Paris exhibition of 1925, known as:
"L'Exposition Internationale des arts decoratifs et Industriels
Modernes". Initially, the style was called "Art moderne". Excellent
examples of Art Deco are the Chrysler Building in New York, and the Fisher
Building in Detroit. There are dozens more, of course, and they shouldn't
be hard to find in any large city. Art Deco was found in architecture more
than any place else. Non-radio furniture was also a heavy user of Art
Deco. There was very little Art Deco after World War II. I can recall that
the movie: "Let's Dance" had some strong Art Deco interior shots in it.
I'd recommend going into industrial design texts and seeing examples of
the real stuff. You will find very few radio cabinets that are not
bastardized Art Deco.

[Martin Ackroyd]

spee...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
[snip]

> Thanks much in advance. If you have any leads for me I'd appreciate
> if you would let me know at my e-mail address, iris...@hotmail.com
> Also, if there is any machine that YOU think is particularly beautiful
> even if it isn't old nor particularly Art Deco looking, please tell me
> about it. Again thanks.

Well, I always thought 1950 - 1960 Cadillacs were amongst the most
beautiful things ever created.

For a deco-ish flavour, look up books by/about Raymond Lowey. I think
his T-1 locomotive styling resulted in the most beautiful steam locomotive
ever.

Martin

[nes...@my-deja.com]

In article <37df07ea...@news.pdq.net>,

spee...@hotmail.com wrote:
> I'm a computer animation student and I'm trying to come up with some
> referance material for a major project I have planned using heavy
> machinery designed in an art deco style. I'm planning to do something
> remenicent of the old silent movie "Metropolis". My idea is to show
> something on my demo reel that shows my ability to do industrial
> animation with style and also tells the audiance that I know something
> about art and film history. The kind of assistance I need is some
> help in finding pictures, schematics or books about Industrial designs
> with an Art Deco style. I would be happy enough to find some good
> internet links that show good pictures of things like the rocket
> backpack in Disney's "The Rocketeer" movie. Or just about any
> mechanical device seen in "Batman" or any Tim Burton movie for that
> matter. A couple of other examples that come to mind are the
> suspended animation tank that they put Mel Gibson in in the movie
> "Forever Young". I also like the kind of rocketships and hardware
> from Flash Gordon or Buck Rodgers type movies and all the scenes in
> "Titantic that feature the heavy machinery of the ship.
>

> Thanks much in advance. If you have any leads for me I'd appreciate
> if you would let me know at my e-mail address, iris...@hotmail.com
> Also, if there is any machine that YOU think is particularly beautiful
> even if it isn't old nor particularly Art Deco looking, please tell me
> about it. Again thanks.
>

The Pennsylvania RR GG-1 electric locos are beautiful examples of this
style, while the Milwakee Bi-Polars are the ugly utilitarian equivalent.

Neil S.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

[Derek R. Larson]

There are a couple of books on industrial design in the 1930s, but I don't
recall the titles offhand. Ask your reference librarian. One classic
example of this design style is the familar green turnstile (with teh
chrome top/bars) that are still around all over.

There are also many fine examples in the designs of the WPA and related
federal agencies from the New Deal period. The exterior of the powerhouse
at the Ft. Peck, MT dam is a good example. Lots of deco touches inside
too.

I'd think any text on American design in the 20th century would offer many
photos and examples of "deco" style industrial design, architecture, etc.
Take a look at the paintings of the "precisionist" school (esp. Wm. Demuth
and Charles Schiler) who liked to celebrate the power of technology in an
asthetic sense. Good stuff.

-drl
--
________________________________________________________________________
Derek R. Larson Indiana University Dept. of History
"Nothing interesting occurred today..."
-Meriwether Lewis at Ft. Clatsop, Oregon, Jan.4th, 1806