Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920–1945 May 10 – Oct 19 2014 Seattle Asian Art Museum Tateuchi Galleries Jazz. Gin. Short hair and short skirts. The modern girl. The rise of film, and the advent of skyscrapers and air travel. After World War I, the world was changing rapidly. With the machine age came an increased emphasis on speed. The art world answered with Art Deco, which had a driving energy that found expression in its use of themes from cultures all over the world, wild appropriation of other art forms, and graphic designs with fast lines that could be adapted and used on everything from housewares to posters, and for everything from politics to advertising. By World War II, Art Deco had left its mark on almost every medium of visual art. Deco Japan: Shaping Art and Culture, 1920–1945, with nearly 200 works, reveals the widespread and particular impact of Art Deco on Japanese culture. Through a wide range of mediums—sculpture, painting, prints, ceramics, lacquerware, jewelry, textiles, furniture, and graphic ephemera—this exhibition introduces the spectacular craftsmanship and sophisticated designs of Japan’s contribution to the movement. Shown in our gem-like 1933 Art Deco building, Deco Japan offers you the rare opportunity to experience the full range of Deco artistry in a period setting. Tweet
“ The center of night life is a vast crucible of electric flame. The throb of the jungle tom-tom; the symphony of lust; the music of a hundred orchestras; the swaying of bodies; the rhythm of abandon; the hot smoke of desire—desire under the floodlights; it’s all fun; it’s life. Joy, gin, and jazz. ” –from the guidebook All About Shanghai and Environs (Shanghai: Shanghai University Press, 1934), 76.