|
In
recent years, freedom fries and political squabbles have
overshadowed the historically rich relationship between France and
the United States. The recently opened show Paris/New
York: Design/ Fashion/ Culture/1925-1940 at the Museum of the
City of New York reminds us of a time when the relationship was
marvelously symbiotic.
For
close to two decades, Paris and New York competed for cultural
supremacy in the fields of architecture, design, fashion and the
performing arts. Upstart New York assimilated the best of
French design, including Art Deco, first introduced at the 1925
Paris Exposition Des Arts Décoratifs. The style made
its way into everything from furniture design to the construction
of the Chrysler building in 1930. New York designers took
Parisian influences and turned out sleek mass produced products
for the domestic market. The French, in turn, were
mesmerized by jazz music, skyscrapers and everything that
symbolized American progress and ingenuity. The American
expatriate singer Josephine Baker, depicted in a vibrant 1926
lacquer panel by Jean Dunand and Jean Lambert-Rucki, had all of
Paris infatuated with her. American writers and painters
from Fitzgerald to Hemingway flocked en masse to Paris.
The
show includes a dramatic promotional photograph of the French
oceanliner Normandie superimposed on New York city streets
as if it were sailing through Manhattan. The image was
created by Byron Co. in 1934 in commemoration of the ship's maiden
voyage from Le Havre to New York the following year. From
its luxurious interior design to the French cuisine that it
served, the Normandie represented the best of La Belle
France. This remarkable exhibit reminds us that an openness
to international discourse at every level is as important in art
and culture as it is in politics. Salut!
Visit:
Paris/NY
at The Museum of the City of New York
Read:
Art
Deco: 1910-1939, Charlotte Benton
Tags:
art
museums
paris
Share:
|
