A sumptuous book beautiful enough to be called a coffee table book, but also worthy of being in the finest reference library. The book covers the nine different period styles from the Age of Ornament (1680 - 1760) to Postmodern and Contemporary (1970 on).
"Decorative Arts" is another amazing book that comes from the combined resources of DK Publishing and the expertise of Judith Miller, a combo that has yet to disappoint me. Yes, I am a fan of Miller's books!
I recently had a chance to chat with Judith Miller during her lecture tour across the United States. The main subject of our conversation is her recent book "Decorative Arts, Style and Design from Classical to Contemporary".
Can you explain just what are the decorative arts?
We have always wanted to surround ourselves with things that make us pretty.
And as soon as you get above the bare survival aspect of life, you add things that cause you pleasure
to look at. In the 19th century we surrounded ourselves with more and more
objects and in the 20th century we had tremendous style in the things we used. These are the things
that we call the decorative arts.
How does this book help a collector?
The reason for doing this book is to explain about the different periods. We will use the term
"that's arts and crafts", but how do you know what that means. What does Art Deco really mean?
This is a book that explains the different periods in time and the things that were in that period.
There are lots of people who watch a show like Antiques Roadshow, but want to learn a bit more, the book is a very helpful and useful tool.
Decorative Arts will help answer the questions -- how old is it, what period does it fit, was it produced in the nineteenth century or earlier? Is it folk art or was it produced recently. We chose images that depicted the different styles.
There is a mystique about antiques. When I do a lecture series, I find that people feel antiques are a bit elite. But once they understand about antiques and can look at a piece, they will be able to know what period it might be from. Folks will gain a lot of confidence as they learn more about the different styles.
Speaking of images, the photographs are brilliant.
The photographers make the items look as good as they really are and are one of the main selling
points of the book. Photographer Graham Ray has done a wonderful job of capturing the images.
What do you think is the most confusing style for people to understand?
Art Deco seems to be the most confusing. Art Deco takes in ancient Egypt along with new material influences
and has affected the design of skyscraper styles, movie theaters, trains, cars, furniture, books, typography, posters and stamps.
But once you understand it, Art Deco is very recognizable.
What is your favorite period in the book?
Late 18th century, Georgian style is my favorite. I love the arts and crafts movement here, it's not as
strong in the U.K., there is a much wider influence here in the States.
I notice there aren't prices or values in the book.
The only reference to prices, are price codes on the two page gallery spreads for each time period.
A favorite and well-used book in my library is your book
"Buy, Keep or Sell?". What else can we look forward to seeing?
"Antiques Investigator" is coming out in June 2007. It's filled with tips on how to identify
authentic antiques. Another book, "Costume Jewelry" will
be available in April 2007.
