Dutch Modern
Reviewed by Jim Sweeney
Art Deco arrived later in the Netherlands than it did elsewhere in Europe. But once there, it was enthusiastically received according to Steven Heller and Louise Fili in their book Dutch Moderne: Graphic Design from De Stijl to Deco (Chronicle Books, $16.95 paperback). The book, similar in format to their Streamline: American Art Deco Design, offers more than 500 Deco designs, many never before published in the United States.
Heller and Fili say that Art Deco "influenced virtually all forms of Dutch commercial art." They prove this with the variety of examples, ranging from election posters to album covers to ads to business cards.
The authors cite the Van Nelle firm for spectacular ads. Jac Jongert's tea poster for Van Nelle shows the product name, and a simple graphic of a teacup over black-on-yellow and yellow-on-navy blocks. The repeated pattern resembles a Deco tile floor.
Van Nelle's cigarette ads are equally effective, Heller and Fili say, because they evoke a sophisticated and contemporary image. You never see anyone smoking, or even a cigarette. An enamel sign, also by Jongert, has the words "Van Nelle's Tabak!" and orange, black, and white rectangles, again in a tile pattern.
The book would benefit from more translations of titles. Sometimes it's not evident what a poster or ad represents. The relationship among various design movements in the Netherlands is also confusing at times.
This article originally appeared in Trans-Lux volume 12, number 2, June 1994.
Where to Find the Book
You can find Dutch Modern in local bookstores or purchase it on-line at a discount from Amazon.com Books.
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Comments
Created Thursday, January 22, 1998; Modified Saturday, September 20, 2003.
