By Michael Pacitti

Inspired by the unruly aspects of the natural world, the Art Nouveau style affected art, illustration, design and architecture from 1890 to 1910. Despite its relatively short span as a popular trend, Art Nouveau made many appearances throughout the decades, including a secondary highlight during the 1970s psychedelic movement. Remember the Grateful Dead’s album covers? Pure Art Nouveau! Even today, the Art Nouveau style still permeates the framing industry.

The phrase “Art Nouveau” translates to “new art” or “modern art.” Originating in France and Germany, the style was characterized by sinuous, undulating lines that sensualized the design world. It featured flowing organic motifs and ornaments with graceful, flowing edges, like a curling whiplash. Artists and artisans often based the asymmetrical patterns on plant shapes such as flowers, vines, leaves and seaweed. Small insects and birds were also key motifs in the Art Nouveau movement.

Art Nouveau contrasted with the later style of Art Deco, which emerged in the early 1920s soon after the popularity of Art Nouveau waned. While Art Deco is still, rigid, defined and motionless, Art Nouveau portrays life, motion and continuity.

Art Nouveau revolutionized the way people looked at the objects that made up their world. As a period in design, Art Nouveau could be considered more of a movement rather than a style, transforming the Victorian era with new, modern imagery. The movement coincided with the Industrial Revolution and brought new approaches to interior design, architecture, furniture, fabrics, glass, tableware, jewelry, frames, posters, wallpaper, textiles and lighting. The style embraced new materials including molded bubble glass, animal horns, ivory tusks and semiprecious stones. It was also very prominent in the styling and production of stained glass that originated in England and incorporated many Art Nouveau styles, shapes and patterns.

Art Nouveau affected the design of the most everyday objects including utensils, hardware and furniture. The movement resisted classical restrictions. Rather than limit art to a canvas or traditional sculpture, Art Nouveau expanded the artistic premise by turning everyday objects into art. The artists incorporated the distinctive Art Nouveau curves and flowing lines to a painting; added a dimensional dragonfly to door decor; or graced doorway moulding with flowers, vines and leaves.

As with any new style introduction, critics and exhibit attendees either loved the style or loathed it. But boosted by its appearance at the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, the movement flourished across the globe. In the United States, Art Nouveau emerged naturally from the craft tradition and trades of the early 19th century. Soon, North American designers contributed their own ideas to the Art Nouveau style, particularly in ceramics, glassware, architecture and frames. In the United States, a new style of glass art surfaced as Louis Comfort Tiffany took interest in Art Nouveau. Tiffany’s lamp designs are still renowned today.

Furniture designers also embraced the forward-thinking Art Nouveau movement, using the new organic, flowing motifs in defined furniture rather than regimented architectural patterns. Like fine artists, Art Nouveau furniture designers drew inspiration from the natural world and shared the same belief in quality goods and fine craftsmanship. They embraced mass production and combined the ornate Rococo style with botanical influences. Charles Macintosh of Scotland had a particularly profound impact on furniture design and style, and is considered one of the fathers of Art Nouveau furniture.

In the print world, Art Nouveau became one of the first major artistic movements. The concept of mass-produced images and graphics played a significant role in the industry, incorporating color-printing techniques that were relatively new at the time. Art Nouveau designers painted, drew and printed work for popular forms such as advertisements, posters, labels and magazines. The poster craze of the 1890s spread throughout Europe and America.

In early 1895, Paris artist Alphonse Mucha debuted his work with a lithographed poster for the play Gismonda featuring Sarah Bernhardt. The look and design of this poster not only popularized the Nouveau style, but identified and spread the concept of the design throughout Paris. Although originally called Mucha Style, it soon became a major part of Art Nouveau. Mucha went on to produce thousands of advertisements, illustrations, paintings and designs.

Many other artists of the time interpreted Art Nouveau as part of their own styles, including painter Gustav Klimt, glass designer René Lalique and architect Antoni Gaudí.

Today, contemporary illustrator Echo Chernik captures the essence of Art Nouveau in her modern work. Her concept of “total art” can be found framed in many styles of Art Nouveau period frames and on display throughout the Bellagio Resort in Las Vegas. Her paintings illustrate the sensuous lines and subtle light of Art Nouveau and feature feminine figures with long, flowing hair. Chernik’s success shows that Art Nouveau’s symbolism and motifs are still appreciated by the art world today.

Michael Pacitti is publisher of DECOR magazine and Show Director for DECOR Expo Showcase. He has worked in the interior design, art, photography and custom framing design industry for more than 25 years.

The Art Nouveau frame style is ideal for images or posters representing Paris plays and advertising from the late 1800s. Unlike the symmetrical style of Art Deco mouldings and frames, Art Nouveau frames incorporate linear movement of tendril-like motifs and weaving patterns that capture the eye. Most frames of this style depict flowing leaves and flowers with sinuous lines. Art Nouveau frames should have movement within the surface of the moulding.

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By Michael Pacitti

Color trends reflect how we live our lives, and our outlook on color has broadened thanks to today’s new technology. Simultaneously, our boundaries between public life and private life have blurred, and our take on privacy has evolved. Some people desire to create a personal territory, away from the hustle and bustle of our world. Our age-old desire is to take shelter and find that peaceful inner space. Within the comforts of our home, we respond to a need for privacy. Color helps us abound in our nest.

The home also takes center stage when it comes to color trends and decoration. Original art, canvas transfers and Giclée are growing to fill large loft walls or high ceiling entrances. Mirrors are also welcome additions throughout the home. Traditional styling has merged with modern designs to produce a new “transitional” look.

We now live in a time more focused on natural environment, fresh eating and healthy living. Citrus and farm-fresh colors of vegetables, fruits and open fields help illustrate our way of life. Some colors have become more weathered and washed, as though they have worn down over the years, making our spaces feel lived-in and comfortable. Paint companies curate new neutral color palettes each year to help you find and create those moments of sanctuary in your home.

By staying on top of changing color trends, framers can harness color fads and boost their business.

A Colorful History
The human eye can see approximately seven million colors, many of which affect the viewer’s mood and health. When naming colors, people rely on cultural conventions. Some cultures have a few names for all colors; others have dozens or hundreds of names. We learn to name colors the same way we learn to name animals, foods or letters of the alphabet: We look, someone else points and names, and after a while we get the connection.

Color trends have changed dramatically throughout the decades. In 1917 Evercote House Paint released one of the first color-trend forecasts for home interiors and exteriors. This practice continued for years and included paint for trend periods such as Victorian, Colonial, Jacobean and Art Deco. The original forecasts for interior and exterior home color came from paint companies. Today, paint companies such as Benjamin Moore, Pantone and Dulux still continue to track the color trends.

Consumers drive color trends. A color cannot be a trend unless it sells. A color does not change; the consumer’s attitude toward a color changes. Several factors will affect the trend including lifestyles and social changes, political events, travel, art, social media, music and cultural and global events.

A significant global event, such as World War II, can greatly affect the direction that colors take in the ensuing years. Like the battlefields, the color trends during that war were drab, full of khakis, heavy grays, somber teals and thick reds.

New color trends can show up in a matter of months after a major event. In 2010, Pantone predicted the popularity of the color turquoise. That year Twitter released a new turquoise logo, and the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games used turquoise as the background color for the Games’ website, which received more than 1.5 billion hits. Hollywood also released the hit movie Avatar and released a live-action version of Alice in Wonderland, both of which use turquoise in many of the backdrops and color schemes.

Each year Pantone and other organizations also forecast the year’s top wedding color, which often links to a current fashion statement. “Radiant orchid,” 2014’s color, is abundant in this year’s wedding palettes as decorative trims, accents, centerpieces and bouquets.

Boost the Business
Today’s color trends adapt diverse design influenced by individual color selection. Custom picture framing designers can choose color though matting and moulding to fulfil customers’ desires. Framers should understand the tint, tone and shade factors in any combination of selected colors or schemes.

Keeping in tune with the latest images, such as trend posters and art, will also help framers know what colors are hot and what moulding to use in a framing combination. For example, movie posters from the ’70s and ’80s, with their heavy use of primary colors, are now fashionable additions to home decor.. Red, blue and yellow mouldings and mat boards, such as Crescent Cardboard’s Brite Cores, are well-suited for these posters.

Color trends appear to develop at a fast pace, in and out within a year. Separate and identify mat boards in trend colors to identify yourself as a custom framing designer aware of the current trends.

Michael Pacitti is publisher of DECOR magazine and Show Director for DECOR Expo Showcase. He has worked in the interior design, art, photography and custom framing design industry for more than 25 years.

Sidebar:
Color Tools
Websites such as colorhunter.com and pictaculous.com extract all of the colors in an image or picture to produce a color palette for color design and assessment. They are great tools for solving matting issues that require the breakdown of an image by color distribution. These free sites will help you upload an image, instantly send back the color distribution and, in some cases, show the most predominant color.

The post Behind the Color Trends appeared first on Art Business News.

Custom-framing design is a process that follows a systematic and coordinated methodology, including research, analysis and integration of knowledge into a creative process to satisfy the needs and resources of your client. Your customers expect you to know what moulding motif or ornament goes with the artwork or image. They also rely on you for matching the right tint, tone and shade of the matboards used. They appreciate your ability to allow more light to travel into an image without glare by recommending a glass that will do it. And they appreciate that you can design a custom frame composition that will last for years because you use higher-quality components and products that are approved.

Build a Custom-Framing Design Platform
Take, for example, a black and white poster of the Chrysler building in New York. Immediately, the Chrysler building stands out as a true architectural form replicating the Art Deco period. Introducing several variations of Art Deco-styled mouldings, along with matboard colors from the Art Deco period, puts together the final form of the design process. Let the customer know why and how you chose the moulding design and colors to match the image. You are now taking on the role of a consultant rather than a clerk. Customers will appreciate your selection and eventually come back for more design knowledge.

Another good example of Period Design framing is that of Art Nouveau. Art Nouveau images often need an Art Nouveau moulding and Art Nouveau colors. Art Nouveau, entirely different from Art Deco, has movement. Art Deco is regimented, symmetrical, stacked and proportioned. Art Nouveau replicates movement in its truest form. Look for tendrils and flowing designs in the mouldings. Colors of Art Nouveau are muted greens and vegetable tones.

Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries and reach further into today’s mouldings and finishes. They have changed and we have come a long way from plain contemporary mouldings and colors to high-gloss, lacquered, traditional ornamental moulding, which represents a new, transitional look.

Yes, certain consumer generations today want that designer look. They expect you to have the right design for it. We have come a long way as far as design goes in this industry and many of the profiles and finishes are being well received by many consumer groups. No longer is it the big-city look that buys the flashy frames and finishes. When it comes to today’s designs, texture, surface, dimension, brilliance and substance are all around us and now’s the time to embrace them. The longevity of these trends may be short; however, that’s a good thing that will enable more change a lot quicker. It’s called moving forward with the changes.

All of the design tools are there for you, including a new look of texture and surface. Even matboards have taken on a new, fashion-forward look of texture and dimensional surface. Custom framing designers are individuals like you who implement their design skills based on a factory of ideas rather than a warehouse of pre-arranged framing formats. Consider yourself a design factory, not a design warehouse.

Your clients expect you not only to give solutions, but also ideas that will enhance the piece you are working on. Whether it be a war medal in a shadow box or a vintage poster, let the client always know why you are suggesting some form of change or embellishment to the art or object. If you believe that that the green matting needs to be lightened a bit, tell the customer why and how you will do it. For instance, if a matboard on an image is too dark, tell the customer that you believe it will look better if you tint the green board by adding a bit more white to the green.

Adding white to most colors will cause the color to reflect or absorb less or more light. Pushing the green a bit darker will cause a toned effect, so tell the client that you want to tone the green down by adding a bit more gray to the green and choose a more muted green. Finally, if you are looking for a deep, darker green then you will have to shade the green by adding black to it, making it a Hunter Green. These designer buzzwords will carry you further as a consultant to custom-framing design and add more credibility to your work. So, you are not really changing anything here, just adding more design influence.

Customers continually compliment your design skills based on the originality of the design and the final form of putting all the components in place, perfectly balanced. It’s not rocket science; it’s merely your ability to generate ideas using the elements of color and design. Most of your daily tasks already involve these basic elements and principles of color and design. Take color, for instance. You deal with color on a daily basis and you are surrounded with many motifs and ornaments from the hundreds of mouldings on your walls.

So remember when your client drops off an image that needs to be framed by you and you alone, that’s where your design skills kick in. Think about it, you have no pressure, you are in charge and you are at your best comfort level. You may even have a chance to use up some of your obsolete mouldings!

I encourage custom framers to add the word “design” or “designer” to business cards, Facebook pages, websites, etc. Start thinking DESIGN. Tell your customers why you love to design and show them examples. And when you have come to a situation where there is no apparent solution at the beginning of a challenge, that’s where the design process starts with you.

The post You, the Designer! appeared first on Art Business News.

By Michael Pacitti

Period design is a fascinating field of study, and one that can help you do better business. Behind each frame lies a story that’s well worth knowing—and sharing. Did you know that most frames fall into one of thirteen periods of design? Knowing and understanding all the influences behind a frame can really help to hone your skills as a custom framing designer. And this, in turn, will bring you more satisfied customers.

So without further adieu, let’s dive into this issue’s featured period of design!

Art Deco: 1925 – 1937

No doubt you’re aware that Art Deco is hot right now! Part of the reason was last year’s movie remake of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” with a star-studded cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey McGuire and Carey Mulligan.

If you saw the film, you’ll recall the rich, opulent ‘20s glamour of the costumes and set. This was a sparkling, smoke-swirled era with glittering sequins, lavish beading, polished hardwoods and elaborate, over-the-top splendor. Box office reviews for the movie may have been mixed, but the fashion trends had already caught on.

Pantone announced an Art Deco emerald green for the color of 2013. Hipsters across the country started sporting suspenders and bowties. Rolls Royce announced a new, Art Deco-styled vehicle. Kitchen fixtures began cropping up in shiny, nickel-plated styles. And of course, Art Deco frames grew in popularity.

Hallmarks of Art Deco

Let’s review the classic hallmarks of Art Deco. Clean lines, geometric shapes and grayed colors are a good place to start. We’re talking dove gray, flat silver, brilliant red, soft lilac and emerald green—this is the basic palette— set against exotic woods such as Makassar ebony, zebrawood, and the refined metals of bronze, brushed steel and nickel.

Art Deco’s visual motifs include geometric shapes, curves, Egyptian zigzags, sunburst,
lightning bolts, airbrushed screened ray bands, motion light, aerodynamic and streamlined forms. Glamorous ornamentation is another hallmarks of the Art Deco period. The more lavish, the better.

Influences and Background

There’s a lot of interesting history behind the Art Deco movement, and it’s well worth knowing. Let’s dive into it.

Art Deco holds some wonderful paradoxes. On the one hand, it is considered a supremely theatrical, ornate style; yet it is also classical and symmetrical. The movement drew its inspiration from art genres including Cubism, Futurism, Neoclassicism, Modernism, Futurism and the Bauhaus era. Art Deco’s true heyday was from 1925 to 1937, though things started up as early as 1920.

Think of the Roaring Twenties—the Jazz Age, with flappers kicking their sequined heels up at raucous, lavish parties. It was a glamorous time, but it was also an era that embraced technology. This is a key distinguishing factor between Art Deco and the Art Nouveau period, with its organic motifs.

Although many other design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions such as Art Nouveau, Art Deco was purely decorative. It was bold and brassy and powerful. It took buildings and designed them to look like cruise ships!

Discoveries, Motifs and Ornamentation

In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter and his sponsor, Lord Carnarvon, thrilled the
world with their discovery of the tomb of King Tutankhamen. Reporters and tourists
thronged at the site for a glimpse at treasures which had lain nearly undisturbed for over 3,000 years. Soon, a fascination for ancient Egypt found expression in clothing, jewelry,
furniture, graphic design and, of course, architecture. In fact, one of the most popular Art Deco motifs is that of the sunburst pattern, taken from Egyptian hieroglyphs and symbols.

Art and Posters

Although the term “Art Deco” is rarely applied to painting or sculpture, the style is visible in the streamlined forms of certain 20th century painters from the inter-war period. One of the most famous artists who employed Art Deco themes was painter Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980). A bold, fiercely independent woman (with a fascinating life story), Lempicka revolutionized the world of female portraits. She embraced the “synthetic cubist” method of painting, using small, geometric planes of strong color to create stunning, empowering portraits of women.

Along with the technological advances of the era, the art world saw dramatic evolution in the world of printmaking and lithography. As a result, Art Deco posters became available to many who might not otherwise be able to afford the original artwork. These images endure today.

Lempicka’s prints were (and are) popular, as were images in the “Cassandre Style,” so named after the pseudonym of the famous artist Adolphe Jean-Marie Mouron, who held a one-man show at the Museum of Modern Art in 1936. No doubt you are familiar with Cassandre’s sleek designs of towering ships and speeding trains—the pinnacle of Art Deco graphic design. Pinup posters and advertisements were popular as well.

Fashion

The fashion-forward clan knew exactly what they wanted after the end of World War I, when technological advances kicked into high gear. It was time to move beyond the hardship and into an era of empowerment for women. Flapper fashion was born. Long-waisted dresses, V-necklines and ostrich feathers celebrated women’s femininity, while bobbed haircuts brought a dash of erotic androgyny into the mix.

Picture Frames, Photo Frames & Mouldings

Now that we’ve explored the history and hallmarks of the Art Deco period, let’s bring the discussion back to framing. Here’s where we start to put it all together in terms of your business and clients.

Art Deco mouldings and frames tend to have clean, smooth finishes. They hold a characteristic of not only symmetry, but also a consistency in finish and color. Whether you’re talking about a painted green frame or one made of highly polished metal, it will have clean-cut lines that will beautifully compliment any art deco art image or photograph. Aluminum, stainless steel, plastics, lacquer and inlaid wood are excellent choices.

Have a client who wants to frame a poster of the Chrysler Building or a classic Tamara de Lempicka print? Get a slick, polished frame and set it off beautifully. Loft owners and condo dwellers—especially those with high ceilings—are looking for Art Deco stylings whether they know it or not!

Framing Art Deco posters requires a moulding that is clean, flat and symmetrical in pattern and ornament. Try pairing the image or subject matter that you are designing with frames that have geometric or stylized patterns from representational forms (remember the Egyptian sun we discussed above?). Bear in mind: Art Deco often incorporates a repetitive pattern throughout the image. Choose mouldings that are cool, elegant and sophisticated. You are looking for symmetry, clean lines and geometric patterns.

Furniture and Decor

In the wake of the Gatsby style resurgence we’re seeing, interior decorators and designers are incorporating Art Deco themes into their decor these days as well. The original Art Deco furniture was an amalgam of many different styles and movements of the early 20th century—including Neoclassical, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Art Nouveau, and Futurism—and that’s what we’re seeing again today.

Art Deco decor is characterized by the use of materials such as aluminum, stainless steel, leather, lacquer, inlaid wood and exotic materials such as ivory, shark skin and zebra skin. Functional elegance is the key. Other elements include: high-gloss finishes, glass
and metal combinations, geometric shapes and bold patterns (think animal prints). Keep these in mind when working with an Art Deco artwork and/or frame.
Inspiration and Resources

If you want help your clients to create a space in which their apartment, home or loft looks and feels as though they have a roommate named Gatsby, the following websites
are good places to start.

Houzz.com
Houzz.com has literally thousands of pictures of Art Deco interior designs. From poster
art and shower curtains to bed frames and wall-mounted mirrors, Houzz.com gives you
an idea of all the many ways that you can build an Art Deco vibe in your home.

Interiordesignipedia.com
One of my favorite sites for custom framing design ideas related to Art Deco is interiordesignipedia.com

Lighting Advice
Layered lighting schemes are important to consider when exploring Art Deco decor. Sconces and torchères beam light up or down to cast a flattering, sultry glow. Art deco fixtures were futuristic for their era, yet polished. Check out this video on adding LED effects to a room.

Art Deco Color Schemes
Here’s a great site for working with art deco schemes: http://www.decopix.com/Art_Deco_Color_Schemes/

Michael Pacitti, IDEC, CPF, has worked in the interior design, art, photography and custom framing design industry for more than 25 years. He has been associated with the Color Marketing Group since 1990 and the Color Association of the United States (C.A.U.S), through which he has taught seminars on color and design to interior designers throughout North America, Europe, Australia and China for 25 years. He has also written numerous articles on color and design and is a professional certified educator with IDEC Interior Design Educators Council.

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