Bevis Hillier
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| - | [[Image:Josephine Baker dancing the Charleston to an Art Deco-styole background.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Josephine Baker]] dancing the [[charleston]] at the [[Folies Bergère]] in Paris for ''[[La Revue nègre]]'' in [[1926]]. Notice the [[art deco]] background. <br>(Photo by Walery)]] | ||
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| - | '''Art Deco''' was a popular design movement from [[1920]] until [[1939]], affecting the decorative arts such as [[architecture]], [[interior design]], and [[industrial design]], as well as the [[visual arts]] such as [[Clothing|fashion]], [[painting]], the [[graphic arts]], and [[film]]. This movement was, in a sense, an amalgamation of many different styles and movements of the early [[20th century]], including [[Constructivism (art)|Constructivism]], [[Cubism]], [[Modernism]], [[Bauhaus]], [[Art Nouveau]], and [[Futurism (art)|Futurism]]. Its popularity peaked during the 1920s. Although many design movements have political or philosophical roots or intentions, Art Deco was purely decorative. At the time, this style was seen as elegant, functional, and ultra modern as well. | + | '''Bevis Hillier''' (born [[March 28]] [[1940]]) is an English [[art historian]], author and journalist. He is known for his writing on [[Art Deco]], and also for his [[biography]] of [[John Betjeman|Sir John Betjeman]]. |
| - | Art Deco replaced the [[sinuous]] [[curvilinear|curves]] of its [[Art Nouveau]] predecessor with geometric lines and patterns. It has often been dubbed 'modernism for the masses'. | + | ==Life and work== |
| - | == History == | + | Hillier was born in [[Redhill, Surrey]], his father was [[Jack Hillier]], an authority and author on [[Japanese art]]. His mother was Mary Louise Hillier, an author on wax dolls and [[automata]]. Hillier was educated at [[Reigate Grammar School]] and [[Magdalen College, Oxford]] where he won the Gladstone Memorial Prize for History. He was employed as a [[journalist]] on ''[[The Times]]'' in 1963. |
| - | After the [[Exposition Universelle (1900)|Universal Exposition of 1900]], various French artists formed a formal collective known as, ''La Société des artistes décorateurs'' (the society of the decorator artists). Founders included [[Hector Guimard]], [[Eugène Grasset]], Raoul Lachenal, Paul Follot, Maurice Dufrene, and Emile Decour. These artists heavily influenced the principles of Art Deco as a whole. This society's purpose was to demonstrate French decorative art's leading position and evolution internationally. They organized the 1925 ''[[Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes]]'' (International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Art), which would feature French art and business interests. Russian artist [[Vadim Meller]] was awarded a gold medal for his [[scenic design]] there. | + | |
| + | In [[1969]] his book ''[[Art Deco of the 20s and 30s]]'' was published by [[Studio Vista]]. This was the first major work on a hitherto [[neglected]] period of art, which had been previously been referred to by various names. His use of the term ''[[Art Deco]]'' became definitive. A year later, also by Studio Vista, he published a book concentrating on the art of caricature from the 13th century to the then present day. The book was simply entitled ''Cartoons and Caricatures''. In 1971 he curated a major Art Deco show at the [[Minneapolis Institute of Arts]]. | ||
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| + | His major work, the authorised biography of Sir [[John Betjeman]], was published by [[John Murray (publisher)|John Murray]] in three parts, appearing in 1988, 2002 and 2004. The work had taken him 25 years to research and write. A one-volume abridgement was published in 2006 for Betjeman's centenary. Hillier has also written books on ceramics, posters, cartoons and caricatures. He is a lead reviewer for ''[[The Spectator]]''. | ||
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| + | In 1983, his work ''[[The Style of the Century]]'' was published, and it has since been reprinted. The book is a review of the various styles of the 20th Century, from [[Art Nouveau]] through [[psychedelia]], [[pop art]] and [[Punk art|punk]]. | ||
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| + | ==Betjeman letter hoax== | ||
| + | In August 2006 a rival biography of Betjeman was published by [[A. N. Wilson]], but was discovered to contain a hoax letter, purportedly by Betjeman, but actually containing an insulting acrostic to Wilson. The letter was sent to Wilson by "Eve de Harben", an anagram of "Ever been had?", and the first letters of each sentence, beginning with the second, spelt out the message "AN Wilson is a shit". Hillier was an immediate suspect: the ''[[The Sunday Times (UK)|Sunday Times]]'' article revealing the hoax was accompanied by a prominent picture of Hillier, and noted that an envelope containing a letter supposedly from de Harben to the newspaper had been bought in [[Winchester]], his home town. | ||
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| + | Hillier initially denied responsibility, but soon admitted that he had written the letter. He explained that he had been angered by Wilson's negative review of the second volume of his biography of Betjeman, and by pre-publication publicity for Wilson's own biography. | ||
| - | The initial movement was called '''Style Moderne'''. The term ''Art Deco'' was derived from the [[Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes|Exposition of 1925]], though it was not until the late 1960s that this term was coined by art historian [[Bevis Hillier]], and popularized by his 1968 book ''Art Deco of the 20s and 30s''. In the summer of 1969, Hillier conceived organizing an exhibition called Art Deco at the [[Minneapolis Institute of Arts]], which took place from July to September 1971. After this event, interest in Art Deco peaked with the publication of Hillier's 1971 book ''[[The World of Art Deco]]'', a record of the exhibition. | ||
| ==See also== | ==See also== | ||
| - | *1933 Chicago World's Fair [[Century of Progress]] | + | *[[John Betjeman]] |
| - | *[[1939 New York World's Fair]] | + | |
| - | *[[Aleksandra Ekster]] | + | |
| - | *[[Corrado Parducci]] | + | |
| - | *[[Durban Art Deco]] | + | |
| - | *[[Fisher Building]] | + | |
| - | *[[Francisco Salamone]] | + | |
| - | *[[Guardian Building]] | + | |
| - | *[[International style (architecture)|International style]] | + | |
| - | *[[List of Art Deco architecture]] | + | |
| - | *[[List of Art Deco buildings in Melbourne]] | + | |
| - | *[[List of Art Deco buildings in Tasmania]] | + | |
| - | *[[Napier, New Zealand]] | + | |
| - | *[[Oliver Percy Bernard]] | + | |
| - | *[[Streamline Moderne]] | + | |
| - | *[[Vadim Meller]] | + | |
| - | *[[Wirt C. Rowland]] | + | |
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Revision as of 12:44, 16 March 2020
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Bevis Hillier (born March 28 1940) is an English art historian, author and journalist. He is known for his writing on Art Deco, and also for his biography of Sir John Betjeman.
Life and work
Hillier was born in Redhill, Surrey, his father was Jack Hillier, an authority and author on Japanese art. His mother was Mary Louise Hillier, an author on wax dolls and automata. Hillier was educated at Reigate Grammar School and Magdalen College, Oxford where he won the Gladstone Memorial Prize for History. He was employed as a journalist on The Times in 1963.
In 1969 his book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s was published by Studio Vista. This was the first major work on a hitherto neglected period of art, which had been previously been referred to by various names. His use of the term Art Deco became definitive. A year later, also by Studio Vista, he published a book concentrating on the art of caricature from the 13th century to the then present day. The book was simply entitled Cartoons and Caricatures. In 1971 he curated a major Art Deco show at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
His major work, the authorised biography of Sir John Betjeman, was published by John Murray in three parts, appearing in 1988, 2002 and 2004. The work had taken him 25 years to research and write. A one-volume abridgement was published in 2006 for Betjeman's centenary. Hillier has also written books on ceramics, posters, cartoons and caricatures. He is a lead reviewer for The Spectator.
In 1983, his work The Style of the Century was published, and it has since been reprinted. The book is a review of the various styles of the 20th Century, from Art Nouveau through psychedelia, pop art and punk.
Betjeman letter hoax
In August 2006 a rival biography of Betjeman was published by A. N. Wilson, but was discovered to contain a hoax letter, purportedly by Betjeman, but actually containing an insulting acrostic to Wilson. The letter was sent to Wilson by "Eve de Harben", an anagram of "Ever been had?", and the first letters of each sentence, beginning with the second, spelt out the message "AN Wilson is a shit". Hillier was an immediate suspect: the Sunday Times article revealing the hoax was accompanied by a prominent picture of Hillier, and noted that an envelope containing a letter supposedly from de Harben to the newspaper had been bought in Winchester, his home town.
Hillier initially denied responsibility, but soon admitted that he had written the letter. He explained that he had been angered by Wilson's negative review of the second volume of his biography of Betjeman, and by pre-publication publicity for Wilson's own biography.
See also
