Perhaps no other person best embodies to allure of Art Deco than African American Josephine Baker (1906-75). Baker was seemingly an endless source of creative inspiration in countless aesthetic fields. Best known for the iconic, though ‘risqué’ fake banana dress she donned in her performances of the Folies-Bergère in 1926, Baker also sported the most cutting edge, luxurious fashions and jewellery of her time, both on and off stage. The focus here is on artist-décorateur’s Jean Dunand’s (1877-1942) arts décoratifs and jewellery. Known for his novelty and exoticism, African-inspired rare and elegant lacquerware, Dunand created a number of lacquered panels representing Baker. Additionally, he also created a number of precious lacquered jewellery pieces, which formed an integral part of these lacquered representations. In the early decades of twentieth century in France, African or tribal-inspired designs were the site for cultural contest and were seen as either emblematic of decadence and degermation or as a conduit for liberation that could help to renew modern French culture, fashion and the decorative arts. Influential figures like architect-designer Adolf Loos (1870-1933), who lived and worked in Paris (1922-27), linked decoration (or ornamentation) with primitivism and degeneracy. Decoration coupled with the so-called lower senses (namely touch) were deployed as markers of degeneracy and were often seen as derivative of primitive impulses. This paper will explore part of the rich 1920s French landscape where luxury, interior design and jewelry met in the intersecting case studies of Jean Dunand and Josephine Baker.

Authors:
John Potvin, Concordia University, Canada

About the Presenter(s)
Dr John Potvin is a University Professor/Principal Lecturer at Concordia University in Canada

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