As Art Deco is generally what the 1920s are known for in terms of architecture, I thought I would do a recreation of the poster for the expo that started it all.
Originally, my plan was to create a buildable model of the Empire State Building, to showcase the Art Deco style. It was to be printed out so my peers could make them as well, but I hadn’t thought out the logistics properly and it ended up taking much more time than I had expected. Halfway through (after about 6-7 hours of work) I had to abandon the project altogether and start fresh – which was pretty demoralizing. Since I didn’t have much time left, I needed to come up with a new concept quickly, something that wouldn’t take much time to execute.
After much deliberation, I decided a poster would be my best bet, and settled on the one for the Paris exposition where Art Deco was first introduced, in 1925. This exposition was groundbreaking, as Art Deco didn’t only affect the world of architecture, but its influence rippled throughout all facets of design.
I’m proud of my tenacity throughout the process of this project, as well as the result. I painstakingly copied the type by hand from the original poster (using a lightbox), before lining it and filling each letter in. The illustration was also overdrawn by myself in ink. Considering the amount of time I put into the project after having the heart-breaking restart, I would give myself 9.5/10 – there is always room to improve, no matter what.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Deco
https://www.history.com/topics/art-history/history-of-art-noveau-and-art-deco
https://study.com/academy/lesson/art-deco-architecture-characteristics-history-definition.html