絢爛繁華的Art Deco

photo source

每年情人節總會令我想起這個畫面, 在 Sleepless in Seatle 這套電影入面, 帝國大廈的浪漫演譯, 隨之而來便是紐約的Art Deco 世界.

繼 Rococo 洛可可之後, 第二個最想介紹的設計風格就是Art Deco.這個在1909年巴黎隨着一系列芭蕾舞的表演服飾所引發, 既華麗又不會過於沉重. 適逢當時人們對室內設計風格的追求, 渴望打破十八世紀流行的法式古典設計, Art Deco 便於1914年填補這個空隙了.

Art Deco (或 Jazz Moderne) 其實包含了不少原素如 Neo-classicism, Ballets Russes 的Orientalism 及 Exoticism, 當時埃及考古文物所帶來的影響, 新興的探戈舞蹈, 藝術畫界 Cubist 及 Fauvist 風格, 甚至非洲的服飾潮流.....全部都在一點一滴地把Art Deco 塑造起來.華麗雅緻的古典原素混合清簡背景; 又或是加上表現線條, 力量與速度的圖案從而帶出當時在先進工業科技上的成就......好一個有趣的組合. 我時常覺得Art Deco 是屬於男性, 而Art Nouveau 就較女性化, 也許這便是個中原因.

Chrysler Building

Empire State Building

在建築上, 最能代表這個設計風格的有位於紐約的帝國大厦 (Empire State Building) 及Chrysler Building, 兩者的外型各有不同, 但設計風格絕對是Art Deco 的代表作. 鑄鐵、雕刻黄銅工藝造出各式各樣精緻的圖案, 由大理石,石屎或紋理豐富的木料...等天然素材作為背景, 座落於大厦頂部, 入口, 大堂甚至電梯,欄杆, 信箱等室內佈置, 營造出絢爛豪華的效果.

要仔細欣賞這個風格, 非進入大廈內部不可, 由於篇幅關係, 誠意介紹一本十分藉得細閱的書籍, New York Art Deco Skycrapers BY A+U. 這本於1987年4月臨時增刋号當中介紹了很多關於在紐約區有Art Deco風格的摩天大樓, 圖庫極之精美, 是一本很值得珍藏的書藉.

其實Art Deco 之豐富及受不少設計師喜愛, 除了其個性鮮明, 圖案及層次感佷強之外, 其他衍生出的風格如 Tropical Deco 也是我的最愛, 也許下次我們一起去邁亞美感受一下罷.

最後讓大家欣賞一下Art Deco 的細緻演譯.

Lift lobby of Goelet Building

Chrysler Building Lift Panel

Chrysler Building Mail Box

Empire State Building Shops

Chrysler Building Staircase Balustrade

Photo reference : New York Art Deco Skyscapers by A+U
Content reference : Period Style by Mary Gilliatt

White Sakura

February is going to end in a few more days, what follow is March, April......and the blooming of sakura.  I wrote a post before marshmallow-sakura in Coffeebreak, which was talking about the colorful marshmallow look sakura in Japan, this time, the one here is locate in Chongqing, China.

White on white, a totally different atmosphere, but was still amazing when I found it hidden in a residential area, just in the gap between two buildings.

Chongqing is a valley,  the weather is moist & cold in Winter, super hot in Summer. In February, it is still misty with rainy patches, when you walk on the street, you will see everything are covered by a veil, you will never know what is in front of you unless the mist is gone. So mysterious, uncertain and sometime "lost", "White on white" - can be easily out of our sight, but if you keep your sensor open, more surprise is waiting for you.

Picasso and a bird?

 有人見過呢隻鷹嗎？一隻我覺得好有型嘅鷹！線條簡單，雙目應該係單目有神，有堅定信念，有目標．．．卻又帶點傻氣． 雖然你不一定有同感，但或多或少會有些感覺罷？！為何如此簡單的圖畫卻令人有所感染呢？　除了是大師作品（右下角寫明，但不知是否屬實），又或是純粹本人亂嗡之外，我想關鍵在於看的人是否懂得去感受和欣賞．試從這隻鷹開始，別讓身邊接觸到的事物輕易溜走，當你嘗試去理解多一點，感受多一點，欣賞多一點的時候，不知不覺間，你便會慢慢有個人體會，而不再人云亦云．藝術，設計．．．其實並非什麼高深哲學，只需要學懂生活，任何人也可享受箇中樂趣。

I wonder anyone see this "bird" or "eagle" before? To me, I think "he" is very cool. What a simple line figure, sharp eyes  eye full of power & faith, seems he knows what will be his destiny...plus, a touch of cute. Well, you may not have the same thought of mine, but at least you shall have your own interpretations.

Why could a simple picture like this do touch our emotion? Is it due to the superior technique of the famous artist (at the lower right hand corner, not sure whether it is real or not)? Or simply because of my  nonsense expression? I think the key is the audience ourself, the one who with or without the ability to feel and appreciate.

Start from this little bird, don't let things passes by as usual, take time to feel a little bit longer, touch a little bit deeper and appreciate a little bit more...... when time goes by,  we will have our own interpretation, our own thinking pattern that don't need to follow others. 

I've always say, Arts & Design is not rocket science that anyone should be able to enjoy what they brings to enhance our life, if only if you know how to live.

歡迎你

Hi Langming Chung,

你好! 歡迎到訪 Cocoa Design Life, 希望你在此可享受到悠閒一刻 :)

月亮忘記了

幾米﹣是一個頗多人熟識的台灣插畫家。認識他是由這個故事：”月亮忘記了”開始。一個寂寞的小孩把小月亮收藏起來，一起生活，互相倚靠，玩樂．．．開心的日子不知不覺間流逝。　　

小孩忘記了月亮應該掛在天空外面，更不知獨享月亮對其他人所產生的影響。

同樣，月亮亦忘記了自己應有的責任，只想愉快地伴著小孩。終於有一日，小孩發現了樹葉枯死，天氣變得很怪；　而且不知不覺間月亮的身軀亦已變得很大，大到不能返入小孩的家．．．最後，月亮返回夜空，小孩在星空下陪伴月亮甜睡！

故事簡單卻滿有童真，插畫是最精彩的部分，誠意推介，找一個月夜細閱，必定令你會心微笑。

 幾米﹣a well known Taiwanese illustrator. He wrote quite a lot of story, this is the one that attracts me most : (if translate directly from Chinese) it can be "the moon can't  remember...".

It's starts with a lonely small kid, who meet "baby moon" by chance, he hide it at home, play and live together...happy ever after?

Time fly, the boy forget the moon shall hang around up in the sky, he don't know there is a huge changes in the world outside without the moon. The moon also forget how to fly up into the sky, or what it's responsibility is; it only wants to be with him, any minute, any where.

Until one day, kid finally notice the fact is, the world can't survive without the moon, and at the same time, the moon has already grown up soooooo........big, that can't enter his home again. Finally, the moon fly back to the sky and the kid? have a sweet dream under the star.

Simple story from kid's angle of view, unique illustration style is the best that I highly recommend. Bring this story book with you and read it under the  same starry night together with the moon above, you will love it.

Amazing Paper Art

Although it's already New Year, this Christmas art work is still worth to be shared to you all. I kept these image in my file long long time, I just can't remember where I got it from, sorry ! I only knew I was so amazing by what the artist did in this paper art. Yes, they are created by colour paper, so beautiful.

Many years ago when I was studied in design school, I also had an assignment by using this technique, actually it's not difficult, but need a lot of patience plus some art sense to create an attractive scene. If by adding some lighting effect like this one, the overall atmosphere is even more realistic. Japanese artist are quite expertise in this field but I think this one is more likely created by European, just guess. No matter how, this is excellent and should be framed as one of my home's wall decor.

Let me show you another one, which is more wild but still, amazing !

Start from zero 由零開始

每逢臨近農曆新年, 總是無所事事, 突然心血來潮上網看"米報", 驚覺最近巿場竟然再聘請一些消失良久的職位, 單看設計行業巳有不少久未露面的空缺; 其中一個便是Visualizer.

嘩! 這是廣告設計達人必經的入行途徑之一, 此人不單要有良好的領悟能力, 更要畫得一手好畫, 把上司腦中一大堆概念用手繪(hand sketch)轉化為圖像.,不少美術或創作總 監前身也是visualiser. 但隨着電腦的出現, 有 hand sketch 能力的人漸漸被忽視, 對! 是忽視不是淘汰, 因為再好的電腦動畫背後仍得有繪畫基礎的美術師協助. 如果你們有看前陣子在香港的 Pixar 展覽便得知. 我們也曾在此介紹過 彼思動畫25年. 廣告創作也一樣, 要把訊息傳遞給用家, 必需要把意念轉化為圖像才行.

最後, 就讓我借用怪獸公司這兩位主角的手繪肖像向這群默默耕耘的專業visualizer致敬!


Christmas, New Year's Eve than follow by the Chinese New Year, what a holiday mood and quiet market these days; so I crawl over Jobs DB & accidentally discover a big change in the design market recently. It's not easy to find a design post from the newspaper ad. but usually through head hunter agency, especially for some specify post such as Visualizer - which has been vanished for years.


But in fact, quite a lot of the art director or creative director in the advertising field did worked as an visualizer from the very beginning. These guys have a good sense of visual communication, they can retrieve conceptual ideas from the art director, express them immediately through hand sketch for further delivery to the end users, therefore a good sketch/ illustration technique is crucial. 


When computer technique seems conquer the design field, we think there is no more visualizer in the world, but they are still the most important support even in Pixar now a day; together with artist, they assist most of the animation character to be created successfully. 

At the end, let us salute to all these visualizer who dedicate their professionalism in so many decade by these two famous Monster company characters.