[.ca] Art Deco (ISBN 1577170121)

Lovely & Educational Primer On Art Deco Art & Artists:
As the title of this review likely indicates, this is a very attractive and informative book on Art Deco-probably the first book I've read on the subject which focuses almost entirely on the ARTISTS of the period without delving too deeply into the social and political environments of the time. With Sternau, unlike other writers on Art Deco whom I've encountered, these socio-political elements become secondary to the work of the artists, architects, and craftsmen of the era. My only real criticism of the book is its layout. Although it's positively filled with beautiful illustrations about which Sternau talks with obvious enthusiasm and authority, the images are frequently located several pages away from the text in which they're discussed, forcing the reader to search through the book trying to find the image in order to see and read about it at the same time. I think this could be improved upon by a re-designed layout or the inclusion of page references to simplify the search process. I nevertheless believe it's a wonderful book for enthusiasts who want to expand their knowledge of the people responsible for actually CREATING the diverse styles we've come to recognize as Art Deco without once again having to plow through pages and pages of descriptions of the important, but by now much-discussed, social and political factors of the day.