an architectural timeline

inspiration: West Side Story (1961)

"be cool, boy!" was a really cool assignment: view the film West Side Story and create a graphic inspired by the movie. Let me say that you don't have to twist my arm to watch a Natalie Wood movie, and WSS is one of the few in her repertoire that I had not seen until this weekend. Of course the movie is fabulous, and has an artful quality that identifies the imagery of Manhattan in 1961 to a T. Inspired not only by the movie, but by one of it's graphic art contributors, the great Saul Bass, I have posted the final version of my representation. What fun!

A space for Ruhlmann's dressing table

On the set of Cafe Society [1937]


Jean Harlow's last film, Cafe Society, was left incomplete due to her untimely death at the age of 26. The footage that remains exhibits a beautiful Art Deco environment epitomizing the luxury of the age. The set for the bedroom in particular emphasized Art Deco's instantly recognizable features: sweeping curves, ornate wallpapers, and pools of shimmering fabrics. Most noticeable about this bedroom is the curvilinear form exaggerated by the stepped moulding on the ceiling. A floor-to-ceiling tufted satin panel creates an elegant divider between rooms. Lush carpet adds to the luxuriousness of the space that film goers during the Great Depression would associate with the glitz and glamour of the Hollywood Art Deco style. Near the satin-draped bed is Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann's quintessentially Deco dressing table. In contrast to the silvery-blue color scheme of the room's textiles, the rich woods and ebony surface of the dressing table anchor the small niche between two windows. With an eye for detail, the designer included bedside tables with ebony inlaid surfaces flanking both sides of the bed to echo the ebony of the dressing table. Since the set only required a minimal amount of walls to convey a sense of being in a real room, only a few furniture pieces were used. It is apparent that quality and attention to detail were not overlooked even for a movie set. The style of Hollywood's Golden Age has been captured as an equally exquisite moment in Art Deco design that is forever preserved on film.


Similar to: The Peacock Sconce in a space. Also nestled between two windows, the peacock sconce hints at Art Nouveau styling. It is rich in detail, just like Ruhlmann's dressing table. The space in which the sconce was placed is similar to the movie set, as it does not have an overabundance of furniture. The two spaces seem to have just enough artifacts in them to let the objects become the focal points.

Contrasts with: National Gallery featuring Calder's sculptural mobile. The wide expanse of space required to house Calder's mobile is in stark contrast with the set design where the dressing table was placed. The rectilinear forms of the Gallery are quite dissimilar to the curving lines of the Art Deco style room; also the Gallery has multiple levels for viewing the mobile. The movie set is quite two-dimensional in feeling.

Resources:
Jean Harlow filmography at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001318/

dressing table found at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/about/starobjects/dressingtable.htm

bedroom inspiration found at: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://parisapartment.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/bedroom.jpg&imgrefurl=http://thecopiuscritics.wordpress.com/2008/09/&h=334&w=500&sz=42&hl=en&start=69&sig2=sVe1ySyq_AWNyt8j2nlqTw&um=1&usg=__O2gCR5URxuQUGBkI9LNQx6LAMv4=&tbnid=OitBLxaU-q6WPM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=130&ei=MLfzSIKcK46UuAWKp9jYCA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dart%2Bdeco%2Bbedroom%26start%3D60%26ndsp%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

author's note: Jean Harlow did not ever film or collaborate with a movie titled "Cafe Society".
This article is a fictional story for illustrative purposes only.

IAR 222 Artifact Study: 20th Century Dressing Table

History of the Dressing Table:
Originating in 17th century France, the dressing table evolved from a small table that housed grooming items into a specialized piece of furniture that remained popular for nearly 300 years. The need for such a piece was created by the cosmetic items women wrapped in a small cloth (which the French called a "toilette") and placed on a dresser or table. An increase in prosperity for the middle classes as a result of the Industrial Revolution brought about a desire to imitate the styles of nobility. One of these emerging aspects was an improvement in grooming for both men and women. Apart from a bed and storage piece for clothes, the most desired piece of furniture for a bedroom during the 18th and 19th centuries was a dressing table. Having a beautifully crafted place for one's brushes, powders, perfumes and trinkets was not only a statement of economic status, but an exhibition and emphasis on vanity.

Components and commonalities among various tables:
Most dressing tables (of all generations) are made of wood; crafting with wood allows for greater variation in the color, texture, and finish of a piece. Wood is also a well suited material for the mechanics of a dresser or table, since drawers and openings can be easily integrated and shaped to the cabinet maker's specifications. The addition of a mirror, often able to be tilted or to swivel, aids in practicality of the furniture's main function, to help one dress. Exotic woods and stone were often employed to embellish the vanity's aesthetic.

Ruhlmann's contribution:
Emile Jacques Ruhlmann (b.1879, d.1933) designed an exquisite Art Deco dressing table in Paris, c. 1919-1923. This table follows many of the forms seen in 19th century tables. Made of oak, it has several exotic hardwoods incorporated as well: Andaman padouk, purpleheart, and mahogany. The tabletop has an ebony and ivory inlay that Ruhlmann intentionally placed to mimic the toilette or linen cloth that the trinkets would be laid upon. A striking contrast to the deep rich wood tones, the ebony slab adds a sleek, rectilinear detail that emphasizes the horizontal surface. The fluted cistern-like support seems to suggest a nod to classicism, and it's cylindrical form relates effortlessly to the round mirror above it. Equally thoughtful in detail are the silvered bronze fittings and mirror frame that echo the silver luster of the mirror. Suited for use by either gender, this dressing table is an exquisitely refined example of artistry in furniture making.

Resources:
The Victoria and Albert Museum
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/objectid/O70933

Dressing Tables.com
http://dressingtables.com/

The Rise and Demise of the Dressing Table
http://www.desksofdistinction.com.au/Garry%27s%20Articles/DressingTablesArticle.pdf