Abstract Art - Patterns and Designs (With Forty Full Colour Plates)

Bracken Books, London, 1988. Good secondhand condition.

An introduction and history of the patterns by Stephen Calloway Assistant Curator of Paintings, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, is followed by numerous examples of abstract art deco design motifs. These highly stylized designs by the Verneuil brothers, Adam and Maurice were intended as inspiration for textiles and/or wallcoverings. Originally appearing in their portfolio Kaleidoscope Ornaments Abstraits, published by Edition Albert Levy, Paris 1925, this edition lends affordable access to the stunning patterns for inspiring today's designer. The original work was produced in pochoir - a highly labor intensive process of printing that used a variety of stencils to achieve designs or illustrations. The pochoir method had been used since the 19th C, most prevalently in France, by artists and craftsmen in the production of limited-edition journals, books, decorative and fine-art prints and illustrated deluxe portfolios. The technique reached its zenith in 1920's Paris, most specifically as a result of the masterful works produced by the printing firm of Jean Saudé.