Nadja On.....: ...The 20's , Vogue and the Duke

I have always had a passion for the 1920s. The whole time period is so effusively avant-garde, a departure from the past Victorian era of stifling conventions and mindsets...art, in its transition from Art Nouveau to Modernism is apparent in poster and print design...ultra delicate yet sexy images of the new feminist movement ( short hemlines, short haircuts, a cigarette and martini in hand- you can almost hear the jazz band in the background rockin the newest in swing). With equally organic and feminine lines...all of this, contrasting with the new, bold fondness for strong, unique fonts, sans-serif style- this was a break from traditional Swiss typogrophy that discouraged any sense of expression. Coupled with dynamic angles and diagonals, radiating lines of energetic movement? All embodied the social and artisitc values of that era.

A perfect example of this design concept are the covers of the magazines of that time. One of my favorite? Vogue magazine covers. Vogue magazine,owned by publishing giant Conde Nast, has always been at the forefront of the fashion movement and their covers always embody the concept of what is fashion for that time period. What is culturally sophisticated, what is au currant, what is chic...is what IS Vogue.

Before there was the use of photography in magazines, there was illustration and design. My heart and soul. I was unable to find names of the artists themselves that created the covers...More than likely, they were just par tof the beast that was a design firm. Design, within a firm, is about team work- from the forming of the ideas to the actual production stage, input from several eyes and minds is standard. But, I would still love to know WHO penned and painted...perhaps, when I procure this coveted tome, I will finally have the answer....

http://www.culturekiosque.com/nouveau/style/vogue.html

Here are just a few covers that I cherish...there are too many to truly post. These examples exemplify just how the cover designers captured the life and heart of that era....

I can only imagine, as you look at these images, that you too are hearing the Duke Ellington orchestra, ready to swing away....