Sarah D. Coffin

The Jazz Age from Stephen Harrison and Sarah D. Coffin is both a catalogue for an exhibition and so much more. It is a beautiful book that is also quite informative.

Often in books like this the photographs are wonderful but the text leaves something to be desired. Understandably they usually stick to simply describing the items in an exhibition and leaves most background to the museum goer and reader. In this book, however, there is a great deal of background and contextualization about what came before the period but were the influences which drove the unique style. In this way each piece is placed in its historical line with influences both artistic and cultural (though admittedly those are hard to tease apart).

The photographs are a remarkable mix of both objects in their entirety as well as close ups of important details. I found myself reading a bit while glancing at the photos under discussion, then stopping to just look closer at the photographs and studying what I had just read. It was a fascinating experience and I hope to be able to make a trip to see the exhibit.

I would highly recommend this to not only fans of Art Deco design but also those interested in the history of art and design, particularly as it developed in the United States. There is much here to please both the student of art as well as the art lover who simply enjoys the beauty.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (más)